82-Year-Old Mario Andretti Becomes Oldest To Drive Modern F1 Car

Racing legend Mario Andretti is the fastest octagenarian on Earth by a significant margin.

The Andretti name is synonymous with racing and for good reason. Mario Andretti is a Formula 1 champion, a four-time IndyCar champion, an Indianapolis 500 winner, and a Daytona 500 winner.

On Sunday ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Andretti got the chance to hop in a modern McLaren F1 car and throw down a few laps in Austin at Circuit of the Americas.

Andretti was in the cockpit of McLaren's MP3-28 which competed the team used during the 2013 season. Their drivers that year were 2009 world champion Jenson Button and current Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

The car was done up in McLaren's current livery but is still very much the same car.

This made Andretti the oldest person to drive a modern Formula 1 car, but not the oldest to drive any Formula 1 Car.

F1 legend Stirling Moss drove a Mercedes W196 — which competed in Formula 1 between 1954 and 1955 — at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed when he was 86 years old.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown is the man who made it all happen. Andretti said driving a modern F1 car was a bucket list item back at the Miami Grand Prix.

So, if you ever want to drive a Formula 1 car, put in a good word with Zac Brown.

Being a legend like Mario Andretti certainly doesn't hurt either.

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