Mario Andretti is ready to invite Leclerc to Cadillac.

      This weekend in the city of Trento, in northern Italy, the traditional and quite large autumn Festival dello Sport is taking place, organized by Gazzetta dello Sport, one of the country’s most popular newspapers, which has been published since the late 19th century.

      Mario Andretti, the 1978 world champion, was among the festival’s honorary guests, and he is rightly called the “Hero of Two Worlds,” which is quite symbolic. As a descendant of Italian emigrants, he has legendary status both in America and in Europe. Naturally, in Italy he is considered one of their own.

      Together with Aldo, his twin brother, Mario passionately took to Formula 1 in his youth, and their hero was Alberto Ascari. They were 14 when they first went to the races at Monza, and that was the beginning of everything. When the Andretti family moved to the United States, both immediately tried to find a way into the world of motorsport.

      Few former drivers can boast such statistics: over his career in different classes, categories and championships Mario Andretti competed in 897 races, in which he claimed 111 victories and started from pole position 109 times.

      Of course, he has always loved Ferrari, but the chance to sit behind the wheel of a red car presented itself only toward the end of his Formula 1 career.

      “After Lorenzo Bandini’s death Enzo Ferrari swore that he would never have Italian drivers again, but in me he found a good solution,” Andretti recalled. “When in 1982 he needed to find a replacement for the injured Didier Pironi, he turned to me. I told him that I hadn’t raced in Formula 1 for more than a year…

      But then I flew to Italy, went to Maranello, and Enzo invited me to lunch at the Ferrari base. I did 87 laps of the Fiorano circuit and among other things set a lap record that stood for eight years.”

      According to Andretti, he still remains a fan of the Italian marque, especially since the cars of the new Cadillac team, which he helped and continues to help create, will be powered by Ferrari engines.

      Naturally, during his appearance before the Italian public gathered in the concert hall of Trento’s philharmonic, he also spoke about today’s Formula 1:

      “Max Verstappen is very strong. I like Oscar Piastri, who is distinguished by composure and unshakable confidence, although for some reason — I don’t even know why — it seems to me that more favorable conditions are being created for Lando Norris at McLaren. And I’m a big fan of Charles Leclerc’s talent. If he ever wants to change teams, I’ll take him straight to Cadillac. But Ferrari is Ferrari. Sooner or later this team will strike back; it always has.”

      However, when Andretti was asked directly whether he had begun to lose faith in Frédéric Vasseur’s ability to get the Scuderia out of crisis, he answered briefly: “Yes.”