‘I am an optimist’: why Mario Andretti is not ready to give up on his F1 dream

The 1978 world champion and his son are frustrated by their rejected bid to launch an F1 team but are not giving up hope

The former Formula One world champion Mario Andretti, perhaps the most successful driver in US history, is certainly at ease in the paddock for this weekend's Miami GrandPrix.

The 84-year-old, who won his F1 championship in 1978 for Lotus and has also taken four IndyCar titles, victories at the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and has been honoured as the US driver of the year in three separate decades, still revels in immersing himself in the sport and his pleasure at its burgeoning revival in his home country is palpable.