Michael Andretti Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Michael Andretti is an American former professional racing driver and racing team owner who is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, having won the 1991 CART PPG Indy Car World Series and having secured 42 race victories which is the highest in the ‘CART era’ and 4th-highest tally of all time, as of June 2020. He had also won the 1982 Robert Bosch/VW Super Vee Championship, the 1983 Formula Mondial North American Cup, the Marlboro Challenge in 1988 and 1991; finished as a runner-up at the PPG Indy Car World Series (1986, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1996), the 1991 USAC Gold Crown Series, the Marlboro Challenge in 1992, and stood 3rd at the 1983 SCCA National Championship Runoffs Formula F, the 1983 24 Heures du Mans, the PPG Indy Car World Series (1989), and the 2001 FedEx Championship Series. He is a 3rd-generation member of the illustrious Andretti racing family. After he retired from active racing, he worked as the owner of the racing team Andretti Autosport, which has triumphed at four IndyCar Series championships and also won 5 Indianapolis 500 races, as of June 2020.

Born Name

Michael Mario Andretti

Nick Name

Michael

Sun Sign

Libra

Born Place

Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States

Residence

Nazareth, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States

Nationality

Education

Michael, after his high school graduation, had attended Northampton Community College in his hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Occupation

Professional Racing Driver (Retired), Racing Team Owner

Family

• Father – (Former Professional Racing Driver, Formula One World Champion in 1978)
• Mother – Dee Ann Andretti (née Hoch) (d. 2018)
• Siblings – Jeff Andretti (Younger Brother) (Former Professional Racing Driver), Barbie Andretti (Younger Sister)
• Others – Alvise Luigi “Gigi” Andretti (Paternal Grandfather) (Farm Administrator), Rina Andretti (Paternal Grandmother), Aldo Andretti (Paternal Uncle), Anna Maria (Paternal Aunt), MaryJo Andretti-Dial (Cousin), Mark Andretti (Cousin), Adam Andretti (Cousin) (Former Professional Racing Driver), John Andretti (Cousin) (Former Professional Racing Driver) (d. 2020), Nancy Andretti (Cousin-in-Law), Jarett Andretti (Nephew) (Professional Racing Driver), (Daughter-in-Law) (Model, Actress), Miranda Andretti (Niece), Isabella Andretti (Niece), Andrea Andretti (Paternal Great Grandfather), Anna Ghersa (Paternal Great Grandmother)

Formula One Teams

Michael has raced for –

• Marlboro McLaren (1993)

Build

Average

Height

5 ft 7 in or 170 cm

Weight

81 kg or 178.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Michael has dated –

1. Sandra Spinozzi (1985–1996) – Michael got married to Sandra “Sandy” Spinozzi in November 1985 and they had 2 children together – a son named (b. March 13, 1987) (Professional Racing Driver) and a daughter named Marissa Andretti (b. October 31, 1990). The couple parted ways in 1996.
2. Leslie Wood (1997–2004) – He got re-married, a year later, on December 24, 1997, to Leslie Wood. They have a son together named Lucca Andretti (born September 16, 1999). They split in 2003 and Michael filed for divorce in September 2004.
3. Jodi Ann Paterson (2006-Present) – In July 2006, Michael got engaged to former ‘Miss Oregon Teen USA’ (1994), former ‘Playboy Playmate of the Year’ (2000), model, and actress Jodi Ann Paterson. The couple got married later that year, on October 7, 2006, at their family-owned Andretti Winery in Napa Valley, California. They have twin children named Mario Andretti and Miati (Mia) Andretti (b. February 13, 2014).

Race / Ethnicity

White

He is of Italian descent.

Hair Color

Salt-and-Pepper

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Mildly stocky frame
• Center-parted, wavy hair
• Sports a goatee
• Affable smile
• Sports a Mullett

Michael Andretti Facts

1. He was inducted into the ‘National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame’ in 2002, the ‘Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’ in 2008, the ‘Long Beach Grand Prix Walk of Fame’ in 2010, the ‘Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame’ in 2012, and the ‘Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame’ in 2012.
2. He participated in only one season (1993) of the Formula One World Championship and had to leave, after 13 races, due to technological and political issues with the McLaren team. His best result arrived in his very last F1 race, the Italian Grand Prix, where he finished in 3rd place.
3. At the Indianapolis 500 event in May 2006, his son Marco became the 3rd member of the Andretti family to score a ‘Top 5’ finish in his first appearance in the race. Michael had stood 5th in the 1984 Indianapolis 500 event and his father Mario was 3rd in the 1965 Indianapolis 500 event.
4. He is one of the 5 members of the Andretti family to have competed in the same series (CART/Champ Car/IndyCar), the others being his father Mario, his son Marco, his brother Jeff, and his cousin John. This made the Andretti family the first in the history of motorsports to achieve such a feat.
5. In 2012, he had appeared as a contestant on the reality TV series The Celebrity Apprentice, as a last-minute replacement for his son Marco, who had dropped out when his friend Dan Wheldon was killed in the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship just a day before the shooting was scheduled to begin.

Featured Image by Michael Andretti / Instagram