An American at McLaren

For the 1993 Formula One season, Michael Andretti, son of the legendary Mario and a very successful IndyCar driver, signed for the Marlboro McLaren team, to partner with the three-time World Champion, Ayrton Senna. Team Principal Ron Dennis declared: “I think Michael can win Grand Prix and become World Champion. It’s not a question of which country you are coming from, it’s how you demonstrate your desire to win.”

While his team mate Senna made miracles that season, winning five races, Michael Andretti never fully got to grips with the McLaren MP4/8. Highly technical aspects which he was not used to in the ‘simpler’ Indy cars, such as active suspension and traction control, hampered Andretti’s chances, as did the standing starts used in F1.

Some observers also felt that since he commuted to races and to test sessions from the United States, rather than relocating full-time to Europe, as was advised by Andretti family friend and McLaren’s Special Project Manager Tyler Alexander, was also an important factor to his lack of success in Formula One.

Highlight of his season, after three points finishes, was a third place at Monza (which would prove to be his last Formula One race), but with three races remaining, he left the team and the championship, by mutual agreement, after the race. He was replaced by the young Mika Hakkinen.