“That’s your yardstick”: When IndyCar legend Mario Andretti shared his thoughts on AJ Foyt

Mario Andretti and AJ Foyt were two of the most accomplished drivers of their era and had one of the greatest rivalries in IndyCar as Foyt and Andretti raced each other in IndyCar from the 60s to 80s. Foyt was the more successful driver in all of the metrics but he also raced for a longer period when compared with Andretti.

In June 2023, Andretti was featured on the Dirty Mo Media YouTube channel where he talked about AJ Foyt as a rival. He shared how the seven-time IndyCar champion set the standard for the former F1 driver to match, saying:

“Drivers of that caliber, they make you work hard. There's always somebody that's going to be quicker than you, and that's your yardstick.

“And I figure, you know what, if you're going to exist in this game, that's who you have to go after. That's who you have to beat. So you work hard, harder and harder to make you a better driver. That's what I have an AJ Foyt to thank for.”

AJ Foyt made his IndyCar debut in the late 50s and raced until the beginning of the 80s. Mario Andretti began racing in the mid-60s until the early 90s but also ventured to race in F1 for over a decade.

Foyt and Andretti challenged each other for IndyCar titles and wins for close to three decades and won seven and four championships each respectively.

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“Now we are good friends”: Mario Andretti highlights his bond with AJ Foyt over the years

Mario Andretti sat with Motorsport Magazine in 2021 and detailed his relationship with AJ Foyt and how it has evolved over the years. The two were bitter rivals during their racing days, but things mellowed as they progressed in their careers and achieved success and are currently very good friends. Explaining the same, Andretti said:

“AJ wasn’t friendly with me at the tracks, but we had a mutual respect for each other, and the days when you beat the best are the days you remember for ever.

“Back then we were not friends, but now we are good friends, and every time I see AJ he says, ‘I can’t believe we’re still standing.’ We’ve mellowed with age and I tell ya, a few years ago, I wished him a happy birthday on Twitter. I said, ‘Happy Birthday to my BFF.’ AJ Foyt and his son Larry responded with, ‘What the hell is BFF?’ I tell him it’s ‘best friends forever’ and ever since we’ve exchanged birthday wishes. How things change.”

The rivalry which began years ago still continues in the IndyCar series in the form of the racing teams (A.J. Foyt Racing and Andretti Global).