With the FIA approving Andretti Formula Racing to compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, their future participation will be the next chapter in a long and distinguished history for the Andretti name in Grand Prix racing.
Team owner Michael Andretti was the last American driver to achieve a podium in F1, after he scored a third place for McLaren in his final drive in the sport at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix. Michael followed in his father’s footsteps as he also took his last F1 podium at Monza, driving Ferrari in its home soil in 1982. Four years earlier, Mario Andretti had secured the world title with Lotus to become only the second American to clinch the crown, following Miami-born Phil Hill’s success in 1961.
In the 22 times an American driver has won a Grand Prix (discounting the years the Indy 500 qualified as a round of the world championship), 12 of those were achieved by Mario Andretti.
The 1960s were a golden age for the United States in F1 with the great Dan Gurney leading the charge. He scored as many podiums as Mario Andretti (19) but went one further by recording the first Grand Prix win for an American-built F1 machine — the stylish-looking Eagle — at Spa-Francorchamps in 1967. His AngloAmerican Racers team competed in F1 for three seasons in the late 1960s.
By 1973, a new American outfit had entered the sport: Don Nichols’ Shadow team, which was soon joined on the grid by Penske. Today, Roger Penske’s eponymous outfit has become one of the most successful IndyCar teams of all time, but in the squad’s 32 F1 starts, American Mark Donohue scored a podium on his debut, before sadly losing his life in a practice crash in Austria in 1975. At the same venue, one year on from the tragedy, John Watson fittingly gave Penske their only F1 triumph.
Team Haas (USA) competed in Formula 1 between 1985-86, founded by Carl Haas and bearing no connection to today’s Haas F1 Team – apart from the fact both had British bases. While the current Haas team’s official HQ is located in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Gene Haas’ small operation is one of the most popular teams on the grid, thanks in part to their gregarious team principal Guenther Steiner.
Haas made their debut at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix with Romain Grosjean finishing impressively in sixth. Kevin Magnussen started the 2022 Brazilian GP from pole position for the US entrant, however the team have yet to score podium.
Prior to Logan Sargeant getting a full-time drive with Williams this year, the last American to race in F1 was Alexander Rossi. He made five Grand Prix starts with the Manor Marussia team in 2015 — with his best finish of 12th at his home race in Austin. The year after he went on to win the Indy 500 as a rookie.
Other honorable mentions go to Scott Speed (2005-07), Eddie Cheever (1978-89) and Peter Revson (1964- 74).
