Mario Andretti, the motorsport legend, was visibly frustrated during the 1982 Indy 500. He was set to start the 200-lap race from Row 2. However, as the cars approached the Indianapolis Motor Speedway straight for the green light, Team Penske’s driver Kevin Cogan, who was positioned in the middle of Row 1, lost control of his car and collided with AJ Foyt. Following this contact, Cogan’s car ricocheted across the front straightaway directly into Mario Andretti’s path, abruptly ending Andretti’s race. Understandably upset, Andretti expressed his anger towards Cogan in a TV interview at the time, stating, “This is what happens when you have children doing a man’s job up front. Cogan, I guess, messed up” (via IndyStar).
Mario Andretti won the Indy 500 once, in the 1969 race, and is also a former Formula 1 World Champion, having claimed the title in 1978. Over his Formula 1 career, he competed in 131 events (128 entries), achieving 12 victories, 19 podium finishes, and 18 pole positions alongside his championship.
Looking ahead, with Cadillac entering Formula 1 in 2026, Andretti has been appointed to the team’s board. In an interview with Motorsport, he expressed enthusiasm about finally having “a home” in Formula 1. He reflected on how, after retiring from racing, his son Michael Andretti continued in the sport as a team owner, which gave him a sense of belonging at races beyond being just a spectator. Andretti said, “I felt that I had a home when I went to the races… And that’s what I like about the situation that we will have in Formula One, finally I could go to a Formula 1 race and I will have a home, a place to be where, the team, that’s part of us.”
The Cadillac Formula 1 team has yet to announce its driver lineup for the 2026 season. Rumors suggest that Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, both of whom lost their drives at the end of the 2024 season, are the leading candidates for the two seats. Given Mario Andretti’s extensive experience in top-level motorsport, he may play a significant role in deciding the team’s driver lineup for the upcoming season.
This detailed account covers both the 1982 Indy 500 controversy involving Andretti and Cogan and Mario Andretti’s current involvement with Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1, highlighting his ongoing influence in motorsport.
