"I was totally starstruck and I set him in the cockpit" - When Mario Andretti recalled his first meeting with Paul Newman

Four-time IndyCar champ and 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti was a tough nut on the racing truck and is regarded as one of the greatest American racers of all time. Yet, there was a time when even such a legend of the sport was star-struck - upon his first meeting with Oscar-winning actor Paul Newman.

In 2013, Andretti sat down for an interview with American journalist Graham Bensinger. During one section, the retired IndyCar legend recalled his first meeting with Newman, which was entirely coincidental. In 1967, Andretti was set to drive a Can-Am car for Ford Motor Company in Bridgehampton, Long Island. Though it was one of the "worst cars" he ever drove, he was in awe of the big Newman painting the car had on it.

Andretti told Bensinger about his experience meeting the late actor, who was sponsoring the car. He said:

"I was totally star-struck, as you can imagine and I set him in the cockpit. And inquisitive as he is, that was his nature. He was really ticking in with all the gadgets and asking a lot of questions. Then I took him for a ride in the pace car, which was one of the Shelby Cobra cars."

"Bridgehampton is one of the elevation-type courses, you know, with a lot of blind corners, and you can scare somebody pretty quickly and very easily. You could tell that he became fascinated... he was really white knuckling. But there was something that appealed to him, and two years later, I don't know if it was by coincidence, he is doing this racing movie - Winning (1969 movie about a racer aspiring to win the Indy 500). Before you know it, he has this SCCA driver's license. He's driving amateur races across the United States and then he's winning."

Newman then went on to become the owner of the Newman-Freeman Can-Am team with Bill Freeman before Mario Andretti lured him in to partner with Carl Haas and compete in IndyCar. The 1969 Indy 500 winner then recorded his longest career stint with the Newman-Haas Racing team - 12 years.

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When Mario Andretti inducted Paul Newman into the Motorsports Hall of Fame

Mario Andretti at the 2017 Clio Sports Awards - Source: Getty

Paul Newman's racing career was almost as impressive as his film career. He was a four-time SCCA national champion, finished runner-up in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, and secured a Rolex 24 at DAYTONA class victory at age 70. He also won eight IndyCar championships as an owner of the Newman-Haas Racing team.

In 2024, Newman was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame and it was Mario Andretti who did the honors of presenting the late legend's award to his daughter Clea Newman. He posted a photo from the event on X and wrote:

"Tonight in Daytona I had the absolute honor of presenting Paul Newman into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Accepting on his behalf and pictured here with me, Paul's daughter Clea Newman Soderlund."

Mario Andretti and Paul Newman's professional relationship blossomed into a close friendship. The duo made many friendly yet crazy bets and, funnily enough, when Newman lost, he would pay up in a different currency even if the bet was made in dollars.

In 2024, Andretti joined the Cadillac F1 team as its director and will guide the team in an advisory capacity for its F1 debut in 2026 as the sport's 11th team.