Mario-Andretti--sportstiger

Picture Credit: Twitter

1978 world champion Mario Andretti will get a chance to drive a McLaren Formula 1 car ahead of this year's next United States Grand Prix at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas. The Italian-American was present at the Miami Grand Prix along with other superstars like David Beckham, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Michelle Obama etc. 

As reported by WTF1, Brown had promised Andretti to strike out one of his bucket list events of driving a new-gen F1 car. “I’ve always wanted Mario Andretti to drive for me,” Zak replied. “So you know what? I think we give it a go in Austin. But we’re going to have to figure out some sort of bet because that’s what I do with my drivers”, he further added.

Zak Brown had also tweeted a picture with Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi from Miami that said, “Honoured to stand between @MarioAndretti and @emmofittipaldi  on the grid in Miami. Two world champions and legends of our sport. Struck a deal with Mario to tick something off his bucket list - he'll be driving a previous @McLarenF1 race car at this year's US GP in Austin.”

“All the ingredients are in place,” Andretti 

The 82-year-old recently has been pushing to put together his own F1 team as the 11th constructor on the grid. The team will be called Andretti Global and will be a venture headed by the 1978 F1 champion and his son who also drove in Formula One. This father-son duo has created successful single-seater teams in the United States.

Andretti has submitted their FIA paperwork in a bid to get onto the grid in 2024. While talking to Sky Sports F1 he expressed, "all the ingredients are in place” for the team. He then continued by saying, “I can tell you one thing, it's not for the lack of trying. We're on it, no question about it.”

“There's a process that we're respecting and we're trying to check all the boxes we're expected to be checking and the objective is to be there, to be on the grid in 2024. We have a big, huge team that can make this happen. Time is of the essence, no question, but I think all the ingredients are in place. 100 per cent have the budget and engine supplier,” he continued.