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The GOAT: Mario Andretti
The GOAT: Mario Andretti
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About this episode
The hosts kick off with jokes around their 500th episode, then settle in for a conversation with Mario Andretti. They start by asking about a recent Gateway race, before shifting to Monaco’s penalties and how modern systems shape outcomes. Andretti dives into his F1 legacy, identity, and favorite cars, then recounts wet Belgium heartbreak—pole, a bad start, and fuel/mixture issues that swung championship chances. The episode closes with helmet-collection banter and future track plans.
Topics:
Indianapolis
What better way to celebrate our 500th episode than with the greatest of all time, Mario Andretti.
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Indianapolis
"[673.1s] And being my first rearranging experience [677.7s] and never sat in a rearranging car until Indianapolis. [682.8s] And, you know, forget your first, right?"
This is about racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s a famous place for open-wheel racing, and Andretti is saying it was his first time in that kind of race-car situation until he got there.
“Indianapolis” here refers to racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is especially associated with IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500. Andretti is pointing out that it was his first time in a “rearranging” (transcription error) car until Indianapolis—i.e., his first experience in that type of open-wheel racing environment.
Term Indianapolis
1 mention · 11:17
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This is off track.
Well, guys, hello and welcome.
No, no, it's not anniversary anniversary of Halloween.
Happy Halloween anniversary.
There we are.
It is exactly six months from a day.
That's not Halloween, but that's usually when Tim likes to celebrate Halloween.
We're three days past your half birthday.
We are three days past my half birthday.
Yes, that is true.
Let's go with that.
And as a result, it's we should be celebrating, right?
It's a celebratory occasion.
I'm already drunk.
I don't think you were ever sober.
But anyway, that's that's not the point.
And that's also not entirely true.
You've been sober.
No, look, guys, off track with Injun Rossi is celebrating today.
And we are celebrating a bit of a milestone that, frankly,
I think if you had told us how long ago, when did we start this?
Eight years.
Yeah, I feel like we've been saying eight years for a while.
So I think it was like 2018.
OK, we'll stick with eight for the next two to three years.
Anyway, if you had told us when we started this,
we'd have laughed in your face.
But guys, I thought you'd be dedicated by them.
I thought you'd have killed me, but I thought you'd have gotten done your job by now.
But evidently not.
So, yeah, a bit of a milestone, kind of cool.
Um, Tim, why don't you announce what it is?
It is our 500th episode.
Oh, that's not what I thought you were going to say.
I thought it was. Oh, I thought it was just because we were I think
because you're in your last episode, my new place.
And, you know, I thought I'm just kidding.
500 episodes.
Hands up if you have listened to all of them.
Take me.
Well, I feel like you're the only one, actually,
because by definition, you sort of had to as as the editor.
Yeah, yeah, I definitely haven't.
I haven't even been present for all of them.
So that's where I think I've been present for the most of them.
You've been present for the most and you've listened to all.
You've missed a few, but you still have to listen to them.
It's so fitting on our 500th that Alex isn't here.
It is wildly appropriate.
And look, in Alex's defense, that that is weather related.
He was fully intending to be here.
And he but he wasn't.
And that's just it is.
We got a good pinch hitter.
We got a great pinch hitter.
We wanted to bring out the big guns for the 500th episode.
And again, Alex really wanted to be here to have the chat
with the one, the only the guy that you think about
when you think about motorsports, when I think about pretty much anything.
Sully, my dog is going to be the guest.
Just kidding, it's Mario and ready.
Ladies and gentlemen, the goat.
And here he is.
Here he is.
The man in the myth, the legend, of course, Mario and ready.
Buddy, thank you so much for joining us.
How are you today? I'm wonderful. I'm wonderful.
Thank you. I got plenty of sleep.
Well, that makes one of us, Mario.
That's that's rude too soon, man, too soon.
I was up late and then had to be up early because we had a race.
What what did you think of Gateway?
That was that was really worth staying up for.
Tell you what, yeah, I'm glad that they kind of stuck it out, you know,
and didn't call it early.
They could have called it a couple of times, but I think it was great to watch.
I mean, obviously, for the red team there, you know, obviously, I think
second is a wonderful, you know, great performance.
But I was so impressed with Marcus.
I mean, he really was really on it.
And but again, you know, between he and Joseph,
they were untouchable for sure.
I think there was whoever would have restarted
the last restart, I think, would have won.
And of course, it was it was Joseph, you know, that that one.
But anyway, but it was it was riveting, you know,
I mean, it was the whole thing right right to the end there.
I didn't think could have happened.
You know, it was not not a snoozer by any means.
No, not at all.
Even even Tim was interested all the way down.
You know, I mean, there was a lot of stuff going on.
Great driving, by the way, really some good driving.
I thought there was.
And I mean, pretty, pretty few number of incidents
considering how much action we saw out there, which was nice.
And yeah, I'm with you.
I thought Marcus drove a gray race.
I mean, finishing second to Joseph at Gayway's basically being first in class.
He's just he's just so insanely good there.
You you made a comment just before we started recording.
I gather you also watched the Monaco Grand Prix.
What did we think of of Kimmy Antonelli five in a row?
Yeah, he's the only one that didn't get penalized.
Everyone else tried.
Everyone else tried, including Checo.
I mean, what a bummer the Cadillac was so close to their first point there.
Yeah, I mean, he he took advantage of, you know, some of the misfortunes
from other teams and he was right there for his first 10th place.
And and one of those penalties got to him, obviously.
And I think he realized that it's too bad.
But but again, you know, again, they they the penalties
actually control the narrative during and after after the event.
There was so much discussion about, you know, what what happened.
And, you know, for instance, when they interviewed
when they were there, Antonelli, you know, Gasti, for instance.
Oh, yeah.
He was he was really, really emotional about it.
It was a good third place.
But then how do you get a speeding?
We I mean, everything is on a computer.
I mean, you push the button and that regulates the speed.
Unless you forget to push the button.
I don't understand that.
So many speeding violations was bizarre, very bizarre.
That was weird, weird, weird, weird.
Yeah, not something you see a lot of in in modern day F1, but no, no.
I mean, that's like I said, it was actually got to be a joke
because you were making a joke out of it.
Hey, but normally that race has no action whatsoever.
So the fact we're even talking about it, maybe maybe it's still better
than it would have been otherwise, who knows?
But, you know, we talk about about Kimmy and, you know, young kid from Italy.
You you can relate to that in in certain ways.
But, you know, I'm curious what you think about the pressure
that he must be feeling from from the hometown, you know, back in back in
Italy, there's a lot of pressure to be a world champion after, you know,
it's been it's been quite a long time since they've had one.
Yeah, but isn't he ever thankful to be in that position, though?
You know, with a team like Mercedes behind him.
And he's handling that pressure quite well.
You can see that he's not buckling under anything, you know, he's doing his job.
He's one of those talents that come in, you know, that actually come in every generation.
I mean, he's Lewis Hamilton, he's Max Verstappen, he's Erdogan Senna, you know,
that level, I think, as time goes on.
I mean, obviously, you know, you can't judge it yet, but the way he's coming in
and in the way he's handling the situation is really, really unbelievable.
I'm curious, Mario, because, you know, you obviously you came to the states
in your teens, right?
You kind of mid teens from from Montana.
And you went on to win, you know, a championship in Formula One.
But as an American, you know, you'd become an American at that point.
Did Italy ever try to claim you when you won the championship in 78?
Well, I always say to them that the passport does not change the blood.
There you go.
And and that's a fact.
I mean, I'm proudly every opportunity that was ever given to me came
because of coming to America, no question, you know, I'm forever grateful,
you know, but basically, it's Alberto Scotty up until now,
the only Italian world champion.
And and as far as being born in Italy, I'm the second one, you know,
and hopefully Kimi will be the third.
But so I'll claim both.
I'm playing both.
Last American and the last Italian to get it done.
Second US and second Italian world champion.
So I think I have the right to claim both.
I think you do.
I mean, I mean, we're not going to dispute it.
I feel like when we had our chat at the Speedway for for Java with James,
we kind of established that you could pretty you can pretty much do anything
you want at this point.
I think that's something you've earned, my friend.
Yeah, when's the last time you've had to show a credential to get in somewhere?
Probably speed.
No, I would hope no, I would be upset about that.
All right, look, I I want to ask you some questions that are kind of just fun,
get some personal opinions, maybe lead to some stories.
But they all kind of start with a pretty simple question.
And some of these I think you're going to be maybe hesitant to want to answer.
But I feel like statute of limitations is up.
And so I feel like it's fair game, but we'll take those one at a time.
I want to start with a simple one.
You've definitely been asked this in your life, but I'm curious because
I think I know the answer, but I hope that I'm wrong.
So it was just simply what's your favorite race car that you've raced?
And I say, I think I know the answer because you got to think it's maybe
the Lotus 79 you won the championship with.
But I'm I'm wondering if maybe there's a sleeper in there that isn't as obvious.
Well, I don't know.
I always say, you know, any race car that I could win a race with, you know,
which is basically it can go wrong there.
But for you, it's been a lot of them.
Yeah, that's the most cars you have.
Got it.
But let me tell you that Bronner Hawk.
OK, my very which, you know, was basically a Brabham.
And being my first rearranging experience
and never sat in a rearranging car until Indianapolis.
And, you know, forget your first, right?
Well, the car arrived there late with a week late.
You know, we used to be two weeks, right?
We had just that afternoon to get my drivers tested, which is a Wednesday.
After that, you know, you're out of luck anyway.
No, I I like I said, never been in that
and never tested with that.
And here I am and and I got through the driver's test, you know,
in good shape, obviously.
Was it Mario was the test back then kind of the same as it is now?
There were like different speed thresholds.
You had to had to hit something.
OK, exactly.
Then you got a bunch of veterans, you know, going out there, judging,
judging you and so on and so forth.
See if you could be looking stupid or whatever, you know.
But the point I'm making is this, that car
that evening was about 530
And everything was over and Jim McGee and Clint Brown are, you know,
so we got the test in tomorrow, we start going.
I said, no, no, I said, I want to go out tonight.
And and I went out there and I said, quick time for the day.
And but the point I'm making is also throughout the season,
I want, you know, of course, in those years, the championship was
you know, included the dirt, you know, the dirt cars and everything else.
But there was one road race in 1965, which I love before like crazy, you know.
And so I won that.
But I won that championship my first year because of that car.
And that car was phenomenal.
So I got to say that Browner Hawk, which is a brand.
OK, all right. Love that.
I would not. Obviously, I didn't guess that.
So that's good. Learn something.
I'm curious. So before before I go to the next one, I I'm thinking back to
to this is the concept of you having to do like rookie orientation at the speedway,
which I get I gather everybody has to do. I get it.
How was it? You were rookie at a time at a time.
And and back then it was a little bit different in the sense that like you say,
they were the veterans that were watching and kind of, you know,
given you almost a pass fail grade on it.
Do you remember which veterans were, you know, the ones that sort of held
your fate in their hand in terms of giving you the seal of approval?
I don't I don't think so.
I don't think we even that no one ever told us who was going to be out there
because probably smart that.
Yeah, I was just going to say that we didn't need any more pressure.
You know what I mean?
Then then necessary. All we do.
Yeah, I had no idea who was out there.
I hope it wasn't a J.
Fair enough.
OK, you have, you know, you've won more races, Mario,
than than most drivers get the chance to compete in at this level.
But but I know you you are a racer through and through,
even with all the successes.
I know there's got to be a couple, even just one race,
that you still to this day lose sleep over.
I know I've got a couple for my career is there one that stands out
as like a race that you wish you could go back tomorrow and redo
because you still lose sleep over how it turned out.
Oh, I think I have I have quite a few of those.
I mean, there's there's there's obvious ones.
You know, there's there's close calls.
I love that. I love that famous photo, actually.
I mean, you came out on top of that famous photo of you and Michael
across the line in Portland.
I know that's probably one that he wish he could do over.
But yeah, anything in the F and the F one world or, you know,
any of the Indy 500s you wish you could take another crack at?
Yeah, well, I think probably a formula one because my thing was always
I was really quite aggressive, you know, at the start.
And I've been pretty fortunate, but there are a couple that I figure,
oh, my goodness, why did I do that?
And that was actually in Belgium
in the wet, which just, you know, my teammate won the race.
But I was on pole and and I got beat off the line, which is usually, you know,
it's usually I'm OK there.
But it was Watson and he was so slow going to the chicane that I, you know,
I tried to figure how I'm going to get by him.
And then we, you know, we got together and that was all over.
And that and that race just by.
And I'm sure that I probably could have finished that because in the wet,
you know, I don't really stress the engine so much.
That could have meant the World Championship.
There were some others that obviously was not my fault, you know,
like the engine letting go and for sure.
I, you know, in in 78, I ran out of fuel
twice, leading like the last lap.
And and actually another time up in in Sweden,
they I realized halfway through the race that I went somehow
the the corporation unit, you know, went to full rich.
Yeah. And burned too much fuel now, you know,
because I knew that, you know, Colin would always be very marginal,
you know, and in the fuel load and that right.
And I knew that I was going to sell.
So I have two choices, you know, just that really tried to take it
or figure I'm going to go flat out and just put a really a big lead,
which I did like thirty eighth second lead on the pie.
And then four laps ago, you know,
two pressures out there and I kept pointing point.
I come into pits and they had no
fuel, they had no idea what I what I needed.
So by the time they got me fuel, you know, I was all over.
But like I said, even if I would have finished up to third,
you know, in that race would have been a World Championship.
Yeah, I go back to those.
And I go crazy, you know, just how easily it would have been what
they would have meant another World Championship.
Yeah. And like running out of fuel.
So fast. Oh, my goodness.
The last lap coming on to the straightaway leading out of fuel.
This is this is what I love about you, though, man, even with all that success,
you still think of the ones that got away.
It's it's just the racer mentality.
Obviously, you've done pretty much everything you can behind the wheel of a car.
You've won pretty much everything you can behind the wheel of a car.
Is there was there any races that you didn't get the chance to compete in that
you would have loved to be honest with you? No.
No, you did them all.
Like, did you ever do like I don't know, was Bathurst 1000 or, you know,
was anything off road in any interest and anything like that?
Everything that I had real interest in doing, I think I had an opportunity to do.
There you go. I've been, you know, I've been asked about the bath.
I was not interested in that for some because, well, I would have had to
you've got to spend so much time there to do pre runs and everything else.
I was not this operation that really turned me on.
Yeah. I didn't think that I missed anything by not doing that.
That's huge. That's great.
I mean, I'm with you. It's it's not something I really have an interest in doing.
Obviously, Rossi did it and won it, you know, in class.
So so he's he's maybe a little more diverse than I was willing to go in that sense of things.
But no, he's not here, so he can go to hell.
Yeah, we don't want to.
We don't want to give him any credit.
What a waste of time that was.
OK, so so this is the one.
This is the one, Mario, where I wonder if the the statute of limitations
has gone as past so that we can get an honest answer on this one.
Um, we'll start with the easy one.
We'll start with best teammate, but I want to know if you're willing to share
who the worst teammate you had in your career was.
Oh, I loved everyone.
Yeah.
I love every every single one and all the different series
and all the different years.
Yeah. OK, well, who is the best?
Who is the best?
Who was the best for me?
Was actually Jackie Eaks.
Because he had no problem letting me qualify because I always wanted to qualify.
And and we really got on so well, you know, he was so laid back
and and he was fast when he, you know, reliable.
That's OK. So let's look at it this way.
Who is the hardest driver to pass?
When you come up on on a guy on track and you thought, oh, not him.
This is because he's just so difficult to get by.
Well, Michael will say me.
And I believe it.
I'll say Michael. Oh, I mean, oh, my goodness, too, too many.
Actually, I mean, about the answer.
Really? No way it was going to do.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we didn't know.
Al answer was, you know, yeah, he he was so totally correct.
Bobby never knew what was going to come out of him, you know, so.
So it was it was going to be a tough one night.
Yeah, you all of a sudden I'm going to wake up in the middle of the night
and I said, ah, that would have been the one.
Well, just text me if you think it's somebody else, but we'll give it to answer for now.
Yeah. So, Mario, whenever we we talk to people who've had success in racing
or outside of racing, I feel like there's always this point of where they had to
bet on themselves and really just kind of throw it all out there, really risk
everything for the career and kind of a make or break point.
You have one of the most impressive.
Not I think we can just say you have the most impressive racing career
of anybody we've ever talked to or likely ever will talk to.
Can you think of a moment in your life where you had to bet on yourself
in an extremely risky way?
And I don't mean like personal safety risk, but I mean, like this
this could make or break my career.
I need to bet on myself now.
Well, the point is, though, I always.
Thought very ambitious.
In other words, why not?
Unless you try looking for the stars.
I mean, what's the point?
You know what I mean?
And I wanted to embark into, you know, Formula One in that sense, you know,
so badly and and I was fortunate that the opportunities I had there
was with the top teams.
You know, my very first Formula One race was with Lotus.
My first win was with Ferrari 71, you know, and stuff like that.
But I think what it was is for me to totally.
Give up the in the car side and and and say it's now or never.
Formula One, it's hard not to see some similarities there
between what Colton is doing now to try to get his F1.
That's exactly, you know, that's why I really have a special appreciation
for what he's doing, because this truly means that he wants to give
Formula One a go and he sacrifices something because he's, you know,
he was there where he needed to be, you know, and in the cars.
Of course, you know, you can always come back.
That's the other thing that's all, you know, it's good to have as a backup thought.
There's one thing I know that that you and I have talked about in the past
and and I'm curious about a specific detail.
And and that's this, you know, when you race for such a long time,
you have so many people in this sport that respect you so much.
I'm sure you've been given a lot of of things over the years
in terms of like memorabilia and things like that.
You know, these days, drivers love swapping helmets.
And I know that we've talked in the past on how that was not really
something that, you know, drivers did back in the day.
And you've got some of your old helmets you wish you still had kind of thing.
But is there one piece that you've been given in your career
that you kind of really cherish and means something extra special to you?
Funny, you would say that.
Oh, oh, what do we have here?
Is that Hinch's indie lights helmet from his first year?
Fondue. No way. Yes.
That's a fondue helmet. Fondue helmet.
No way. What year is it from? Do you know?
Well, the fifties.
Well, yeah.
But that's that's incredible.
How long have you had that?
Only a few years.
It was out of the museum.
They they presented it to me.
That is incredible.
Really appreciated that.
That is very cool.
Yeah, I got a couple of cool lids in my helmet collection.
I do not have a fangio.
I know.
There's as many things in your collection
that that most people don't have, pal, because I have some room.
If either of you want to send a helmet my way.
I'm just saying I have some room for it.
No, you're not there.
I think we're good. We're good.
Well, look, with that, we really appreciate the time.
And that's that's a really cool thing to to get to see.
It's I'm kind of speechless, actually,
that that's something that's part of your collection.
But that is very cool, as are you.
And so thank you so much for taking the time to chat to us.
Means a lot.
It's always fun seeing you.
Always fun talking to you, as I told you when we were chatting in May.
So one of my favorite things to do is grab a grab a glass of wine
and sit down and just shoot the breeze with Mario.
But thank you from so much for for the time
and look forward to seeing you back at the racetrack, bud.
You bet. OK, thank you.
Thanks for having me, guys.
This has been Off Track with Hinch and Rossi.
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