Italian-born American race-car driver Mario Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is recognized for his remarkable career spanning multiple car racing disciplines.
Migrating to the US in 1955, Andretti became a US citizen in 1964 and made a name in stock car racing alongside his twin brother Aldo.
However, after several crashes, Aldo left racing in 1969, while Mario continued to excel.
Starting his journey in sprint and midget cars, he transitioned into the championship-car division of the United States Automobile Club (USAC) in 1964, securing USAC championships in 1965-66 and 1969.
Andretti also claimed victories at the Daytona 500 and Grand Prix of Endurance race at Sebring.
He set a record speed at the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 and became the second American driver to win the Formula One world driving championship in 1978.
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He retired in 1994 and was recognized as one of the century’s best drivers in 1999 and inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2000.
His legacy continues through his sons, Jeff and Michael, who also became professional racers.
Let’s go through the quotes by Mario Andretti.
Best Mario Andretti Quotes
I still have the competitive spirit, which is good. ~ Mario Andretti.
It is amazing how many drivers, even at the Formula One Level, think that the brakes are for slowing the car down. ~ Mario Andretti.
I wanted to have a career that would last a hundred years if possible. ~ Mario Andretti.
Everything comes to those who wait… except a cat. ~ Mario Andretti.
Staging Formula One is incredibly expensive. ~ Mario Andretti.
I lived the true American dream because I was able to pursue what I set as my goals at a very young age. ~ Mario Andretti.
Speed is relative. You have to live it. You can’t just jump into it. You have to live it all the time. ~ Mario Andretti.
I think social media really is a great tool. It fascinates me when I tweet something and right away you get a response almost immediately. ~ Mario Andretti.
I don’t remember as a kid wanting to do or be anything else but drive something, be a race driver. ~ Mario Andretti.
I’m so thankful that I’ve had such a long and uninterrupted career. I count my blessings every day for that because it was so fulfilling. ~ Mario Andretti.
Top Mario Andretti Quotes
Love what you do. Believe in your instincts. And you’d better be able to pick yourself up and brush yourself off every day. ~ Mario Andretti.
Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal – a commitment to excellence – that will enable you to attain the success you seek. ~ Mario Andretti.
Sebastian Vettel’s brilliant talent will ultimately come forth and he’ll continue to show what he’s capable of. I will never ever degrade Vettel’s ability. Sooner or later, he’ll prove anyone so wrong. ~ Mario Andretti.
Sometimes you have to bring back only the steering wheel so the car owner will know that you’re giving it all you have. ~ Mario Andretti.
You dream what you’re supposed to do. ~ Mario Andretti.
Speed takes a little bit of getting used to, but rules have to be followed. At any speed, the more you run, the more you get used to it. ~ Mario Andretti.
Motor racing is like one big family, ultimately, and when you come back to it, that’s really what it feels like. ~ Mario Andretti.
You can’t take a vacation from speed. I probably could have taken more time off and not driven in all the different disciplines, but I wanted to drive, drive and drive. ~ Mario Andretti.
I don’t have any feeling of accomplishment about anything unless there’s a lot of risk to it. ~ Mario Andretti.
Wise Mario Andretti Quotes
It takes a lifetime to build tradition. ~ Mario Andretti.
I go to bed around 11, and I do that for every race. I get good sleep. I don’t lie awake for any race. That’s my routine. ~ Mario Andretti.
Every NASCAR driver watches Formula One in the morning; they are well informed. ~ Mario Andretti.
I look at myself as the luckiest man alive. ~ Mario Andretti.
If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough. ~ Mario Andretti.
I will always enter a race car from the left side. Always. Why? I have no idea. ~ Mario Andretti.
Desire is the key to motivation. ~ Mario Andretti.
The passport changes but the blood doesn’t. ~ Mario Andretti.
You do the best you can with what’s thrown at you, then you try again. ~ Mario Andretti.
My last race was at Le Mans in 2000, my first race was in 1959, so I dodged a lot of bullets along the way, I can tell you that. ~ Mario Andretti.
When a car’s ahead of you, as long as you can see it, you get a tow, just like the draft in NASCAR. Even if it’s a long way down the track, it punches a hole in the air that has to help. When you’re running alone, you can feel the difference, and it shows on the clock, too. ~ Mario Andretti.
I love all motor sports at the top level. ~ Mario Andretti.
If a neighbor is killed in a car accident, do you sell your car and stop driving? ~ Mario Andretti.
I had no problems staying motivated because things that were happening were things I looked forward to. ~ Mario Andretti.
Popular Mario Andretti Quotes
Young drivers are supposed to be hard on equipment. That’s how you learn. ~ Mario Andretti.
What is golden is miles under your belt, miles, miles, miles. ~ Mario Andretti.
I don’t have many superstitions, just dumb things I don’t talk about. I will not sign an autograph with a green pen. ~ Mario Andretti.
If you’re so afraid of failure, you will never succeed. You have to take chances. ~ Mario Andretti.
I count my blessings every day, quite honestly, because I take nothing for granted. ~ Mario Andretti.
Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. ~ Mario Andretti.
In racing, there is no question who is best – the first one to cross the finish line wins first prize. But with wine, even if you make the best wine in the world, someone isn’t going to like it, because it isn’t their style. Judging wine is very subjective. ~ Mario Andretti.
There’s something special about racing in real streets. The ‘artificial’ circuits have a certain sameness to them. But every race conducted on real streets has a character of its own – Barcelona, Monaco, and now Long Beach. ~ Mario Andretti.
The experts or the cynics say, Oh, those were the good old days, that’s when drivers were really drivers. They didn’t have all these aids. You know what? What we had, we did the best with and when we got more we provided what was needed. ~ Mario Andretti.
Famous Mario Andretti Quotes
A racing car is an animal with a thousand adjustments. ~ Mario Andretti.
Tom Carnegie will never be replaced. ~ Mario Andretti.
The first time I fired up a car, felt the engine shudder and the wheel come to life in my hands, I was hooked. It was a feeling I can’t describe. I still get it every time I get into a race car. ~ Mario Andretti.
The man upstairs is pushing the buttons, and if your name happens to be on that button, well, thank you. ~ Mario Andretti.
From the driver’s standpoint I had the same horrors, the same satisfactions, the same everything. The speed is relative. It’s faster and things are happening quicker, but you have the equipment to handle it. ~ Mario Andretti.
Not all teammates tell the truth. ~ Mario Andretti.
I’ve always said, ‘I didn’t have a Plan B in life.’ I was in pursuit of my dream from the very beginning. It’s all about desire and passion. At all costs. ~ Mario Andretti.
You’re safer in the race car than you are in cars going to and from the track. ~ Mario Andretti.
The only thing that happens if you wait, is that you get older. ~ Mario Andretti.
I think it’s counterproductive in many ways to pretend to know things you don’t. You surround yourself with people who are the real experts. ~ Mario Andretti.
If you don’t come walking back to the pits every once in a while holding a steering wheel in your hands, you’re not trying hard enough. ~ Mario Andretti.
Anybody who can drive and doesn’t come out of it a rich man is a fool. ~ Mario Andretti.
Nobody is born with a steering wheel or a gear shift in his hand. It’s something you choose to do or you don’t. ~ Mario Andretti.
Inspirational Mario Andretti Quotes
I never personally name anyone. I am not comfortable rating other drivers. ~ Mario Andretti.
Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs. ~ Mario Andretti.
When you start thinking you may get hurt, it’s time to get out of racing. ~ Mario Andretti.
I see all these old people who don’t have anything to do but eat, drink and sleep. I will never say ‘retired’ because that’s such a finality that I don’t want to be part of my life. I’ll work until they throw me in a box. ~ Mario Andretti.
The United States is the only country where a driver can have a successful career – either in stock cars or IndyCar – and he won’t need a passport. ~ Mario Andretti.
I like to think that the Grand Prix helped Long Beach to pretty much change its image. ~ Mario Andretti.
A goal isn’t something you just arrive at and stop. You have to stay curious and hungry and foolish… ~ Mario Andretti.
I wish we could be 100% shielded from danger, but nothing is in life. ~ Mario Andretti.
Whenever you’re aggressive, you’re at the edge of mistakes. ~ Mario Andretti.
The crashes people remember, but drivers remember the near misses. ~ Mario Andretti.
When you are losing it can seem like there is a black cloud following you around, but like they say there is a silver lining in every cloud. ~ Mario Andretti.
Unfortunately, we don’t educate drivers enough to be respectful on the road. ~ Mario Andretti.
You do a period of go-karting until you’re at the age of qualifying for a ride in a ‘school-kart,’ then you qualify for driving school. And several of the driving schools have a competition series for their own students. ~ Mario Andretti.
My biggest concern during a race is getting bored. The biggest thing I have to combat is falling asleep while going around and around. ~ Mario Andretti.
So these were the 70 top Mario Andretti Quotes on Racing to power you up.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Dean Martin quotes and William Saroyan quotes.
