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Michael Andretti once revealed his interest in getting Josef Newgarden to board the Andretti outfit. Back in 2016, the Tennessee-born driver was a free agent and slated to move to Team Penske, when the former champion expressed his interest in getting the three-time race winner onto his team.
Newgarden made his debut in 2012 with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing and received his first breakthrough at the 2013 race in Brazil, where he finished top-five.
The Tennessee-born driver continued his strong string of results and won his first race at Barber Motorsports Park in 2015. He then continued with Ed Carpenter Racing for the 2016 season, a name that he was familiar with in his early years in IndyCar.
However, Josef Newgarden had grown his stature within the racing realm at this time, and with his contract coming to an end in 2016, teams goaded the three-time race winner to get his signature. Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing were leading the race to win Newgarden, but Andretti made a sudden entry with Michael's expression of interest in getting him onboard.
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Asserting his desire to get Newgarden in Andretti, Michael claimed that he would love to make an offer to the future champion, and said in 2016 (via RACER):
"The problem for me and Chip is we have to go raise money. Roger doesn’t have to raise money. I’d love to make him an offer right now and say ‘come on’ but I have to put the budget together to be able to do that... I’d love to have him here. He’d fit right in with our guys.
But, again, it comes down to the almighty dollar, and we have a lot of balls in the air. We have more than we’ve had at any time in recent years, and if some of them land, I’d love to go after him.”
However, Josef Newgarden's decision to move to Team Penske paid off as he won his maiden championship in his debut run with the team. He then won a second title two years later and is also a two-time Indy 500 winner.
Meanwhile, Michael Andretti left the Andretti team last year after tensions with the F1 realm developed.
How has Michael Andretti's role transformed since his departure from the team?
Michael Andretti's departure was a sudden one. The 62-year-old had led the Andretti outfit in the open-wheel racing scene since 2003 and his exit left a lot on the table for other team personnel to take up.
With the former IndyCar champion stepping off from his day-to-day inclusion in the team's activities, Dan Towriss opened up on Michael Andretti's role within the team, and said (via IndyStar):
"[Andretti] has no operational role within the team. Michael has a very unique perspective and opinion - not just on IndyCar, but he has opinions on other series as well. It is also important to make sure the Andrettis are happy with how the Andretti name is being portrayed. We take that as a huge responsibility to carry that on. We want to do right by them."
Andretti was present at the season opener in St. Petersburg, though he was not at his team's garage and enjoying some time off with his family.
