Race and classic pictures

Fifty years on, can Marco finally break the Andretti jinx?

It's Indy 500 day folks, and we'll be seamlessly shifting from the Principality to the Brickyard at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix.

It's been fifty years since Mario Andretti's win in the "greatest race on earth".

It seems incredible that the Andretti family, with its multiple exponents over the years, has never succeeded in adding a second win at Indy to its name - although Michael did achieve five wins as a team owner.

It certainly isn't for a lack of trying, and indeed there have been instances when a triumph was just a few dozen miles away, only for it to vanish with the echo of the most infamous words in IndyCar history: "It looks like Mario (or Michael) is slowing down!"

In a tribute to his grandfather's winning 1969 STP-liveried Hawk, Marco is driving a dayglo-orange Andretti Autosport Honda Dallara, the race set-up of which he has fine-tuned to the best of his and his team's expert ability these last two weeks.

Can Marco pull it off ? Can he put an end to the Andretti jinx? Stay tuned…

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.