Marco Andretti announced his retirement from motor racing on Wednesday, bringing to a close 20 years of competing in America’s top open wheel series.
A third generation racer, Andretti began his IndyCar career in 2006 racing for the family team at just 19 years old.
He finished second in his first ever Indianapolis 500 start, and earned his first IndyCar win at Sonoma later that same year.
Andretti continued to race full time through the 2020 season before shifting to an Indy 500-only program from 2021 onwards.
He competed in 20 Indianapolis 500 events in total, earning one pole and four podium finishes in that time.
The 38-year-old Andretti is now stepping away from his driving duties to focus on other aspects of life.
“To my family, friends, teams, sponsors, and fans who have genuinely supported me for the last 30 years in motorsports, I want to thank you for allowing me the privilege to continue our family’s passion on the racetrack,” said Andretti on social media.
“I have had some really fun times behind the wheel in a lot of different types of racing cars — a lot of great memories as well, mostly at the Indy 500.
“Today, I am announcing my retirement from motor racing and the Indianapolis 500. That totals 20 starts at the Speedway, which I feel so fortunate to be able to say. That is ranked 12th all-time. Not bad for a 38-year-old.
“I am proud of my overall stats at the Indy 500. I had six very legitimate shots at victory with Andretti Autosport and ended up with 20% top-3 finishes at the Speedway.
“It feels accomplishing to me to be able to retire having more podium finishes than my father Michael and the same as my grandfather Mario at the biggest race in the world.”
Continuing the Andretti name
Marco Andretti was born into one of the most famous racing families in the world, and had incredible legacies from his grandfather Mario and his father Michael to live up to.
Perhaps unfairly, he was often held against the standards of his family name as he made a name for himself in IndyCar.
He continued to pursue his own accolades and finished a career-best fifth in the drivers championship in 2013.
Andretti’s continued efforts saw him become one of the most tenured drivers in the series, and his decision to step back from a full time schedule after the 2020 season allowed him to extend his time in the series even further.
His announcement this week seems to indicate that the decision to move on from driving duties was entirely his own, and he reiterated a few times that he is looking forward to the next chapter of his life.
“I am very much at peace with the next chapter in my life after dedicating three decades to the sport,” added Andretti.
“I will be prioritizing most of my time on being a great father to my daughter, Miura, and tending to my other business ventures.”
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