Motorsport legend Mario Andretti, the 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner, and 1978 Formula One world champion made history at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday as he became the oldest person at the age of 82 to drive a modern Formula One car when he drove the MP428.
The previous record was held by Irish rally legend Rosemary Smith who at the age of 79 drove a Renault F1 car in 2017.
Andretti was promised a drive in a modern F1 car while on the grid with Emerson Fittipaldi and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown and sure enough on Saturday, he got his opportunity to complete laps on the famous Californian circuit.
What a moment! @MarioAndretti drives a modern F1 car around #LagunaSeca. Glorious. @McLarenF1 #gwflatout pic.twitter.com/HbM3V5MvV2
— Goodwood Road & Racing (@GoodwoodRRC) October 15, 2022
Andretti wasn’t the only former F1 world champion in action on Saturday as two-time champion and former McLaren driver Mika Hakkinen was also in action driving one of Ayrton Senna’s McLaren F1 cars.
The Flying Finn @F1MikaHakkinen meets @MarioAndretti at #LagunaSeca in a pair of @McLarenF1. Does it get better? #F1 pic.twitter.com/aXtKxP3huv
— Goodwood FOS (@fosgoodwood) October 15, 2022