Marco Michael Andretti, born on March 13, 1987, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, stands as a prominent figure in the world of American auto racing.
As the grandson of legendary Formula One and IndyCar champion Mario Andretti and the son of CART and IndyCar titleholder Michael Andretti, Marco was immersed in the racing world from an early age.
His mother, Sandra Spinozzi, provided a grounding influence amid the high-octane family environment.
Growing up in the shadow of Nazareth Speedway, where his grandfather honed his skills after immigrating from Italy in 1955, Marco began karting at just six years old, quickly displaying the natural talent that would define his career.
He brings a compact, agile presence to the cockpit, embodying the third generation of Andrettis to chase checkered flags professionally.
Beyond the track, Marco has navigated personal milestones, including a 2017 marriage to model Marta Krupa, sister of supermodel Joanna Krupa, that ended amicably in 2021.
Siblings
Marco has two siblings, Lucca and Marissa Andretti.
Lucca, Marco’s brother, and Marissa, his sister, grew up alongside him in Nazareth, enveloped in the family’s racing heritage but pursuing paths outside the professional spotlight of motorsport.
While the Andretti name evokes images of speed and victory laps, Lucca and Marissa have maintained relatively private lives.
Career
Andretti’s racing odyssey launched in earnest during his teenage years, transitioning from karting triumphs to the junior formulas that paved his way into professional open-wheel competition.
By 2003, he was dominating the Formula Ford series, securing multiple wins that caught the eye of scouts, leading to his stint in the Infiniti Pro Series—now known as Indy Lights—where he clinched three victories in 2005 en route to a strong championship contention.
His breakthrough arrived in 2006 at age 19, when he joined the IndyCar Series with Andretti Green Racing, his family’s team, becoming the second-youngest driver ever to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
That rookie season etched his name in history: a heart-stopping second-place finish in the Indy 500, passed only in the final yards by Sam Hornish Jr., followed by a stunning victory at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, making him the youngest winner in major open-wheel racing at the time.
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Over the next 15 full-time seasons with Andretti Herta Autosport through 2020, Marco amassed two IndyCar wins, including the 2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250, and notched eight podiums amid a grueling schedule of ovals, road courses, and street circuits.
His versatility shone through diversions into endurance racing, with class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Rolex 24 at Daytona in prototypes, plus stints in A1 Grand Prix, Formula E, and even the American Le Mans Series.
Stepping back from full-time IndyCar duties in 2021 to focus on testing and development for Andretti Global, Marco has since embraced eclectic pursuits: capturing the 2022 Superstar Racing Experience championship against NASCAR and IndyCar luminaries, dipping into ARCA Menards and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races in 2023 and 2024—finishing a respectable 19th in his Truck debut at Mid-Ohio—and logging 20 consecutive Indy 500 starts through 2025, where he placed 29th in the most recent edition.
Sponsors like U.S. Concrete, Verizon, and MAPEI have fueled his campaigns, while his off-track contributions, including a brief 2012 turn on The Celebrity Apprentice as a replacement for the late Dan Wheldon, highlight a career blending adrenaline with adaptability.
Accolades
Crowned the 2006 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year and Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, Andretti burst onto the scene with unparalleled promise, his Sonoma triumph that August standing as a testament to raw speed in a field of veterans.
A career-best fifth-place finish in the 2013 points standings remains his pinnacle in IndyCar, underscoring a season of consistency with multiple top-10s despite the series’ cutthroat parity.
His runner-up at the 2006 Indy 500 endures as one of the race’s most dramatic finishes, while a second-place at the 2011 Iowa oval added to his legacy of near-misses turned highlights.
Beyond IndyCar, accolades abound: the 2022 SRX Series championship, where he outdueled stars like Tony Stewart and Helio Castroneves in a six-race all-star showdown; class victories at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona in LMP2 prototypes with partners like G Drive Racing; and three Infiniti Pro Series wins in 2005 that propelled his ascent.
Marco’s pole positions, at the 2007 Indy Japan and 2009 Fontana, flashed his qualifying prowess, and his 20th Indy 500 appearance in 2025 cements him as a Brickyard mainstay, with 19 starts yielding three laps led and a trio of top-10 finishes.
Though winless in IndyCar since 2011, his enduring contributions to Andretti Global’s engineering efforts and ventures into stock cars like ARCA, where he competed in 14 events in 2024, affirm a legacy of versatility, earning quiet nods as the most reliable performer in his family’s team during a spec-era stretch from 2012 to 2018.
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