Elaborating on Toto Wolff's recent idea of allowing three-car teams in F1, motorsport legend Mario Andretti believes the sport would benefit immensely from top teams running a guest car at certain races.
The 1978 world champion made his F1 debut in a bygone era, when teams frequently entered a third car for a young driver or local hero.
Andretti capitalized on such an opportunity in 1968, showcasing his skills for the very first time in an F1 race when he drove a third works Lotus at the US GP at Watkins Glen.
He duly put the car on pole that year, but in 1971 Andretti was entrusted with a third Ferrari at Kyalami, and promptly clinched his maiden GP win!
"We're always looking for an angle to try to promote F1 in a different way and try to reach out to fans," Andretti told Motorsport.com.
"First of all, that is how I got my break. Colin Chapman gave me a ride in a top team in a competitive car, and that's the reason I was on pole in a third car. I won my first race in South Africa with Ferrari as third car.
"The point I'm making is it launched my career because I had a competitive car under me."
Going one step further, Andretti sees no reason why a high-profile American driver could not be awarded a drive with a top team for a home race.
"The big thing in the States is to reach out to another fanbase. Can you imagine the promotion if say Josef Newgarden as IndyCar champion would be invited by Mercedes or Ferrari or Red Bull as a third car for the US GP? It would add another 40,000 people probably," contends the still impassioned 78-year-old.
"You can hide behind things like the engine situation, but you can work it. The guest car cannot earn points, for instance.
"Wouldn't that be an interesting way to increase the popularity? Bring in a Chinese driver, a Japanese driver, any different country that you go to if you have a star driver that the team is willing to take on just for the race. At least keep the door open for the possibility.
"I realise that times change, but can you imagine the promotion value for the sport? I think it's immeasurable."
Andretti admits the proposition would likely not appeal to the sport's midfield runners, but he also believes everyone should be looking at the bigger picture, and the potential trickle-down effect on F1 as a whole.
"If all of a sudden you've got to think about favouring one team, that's not what makes you grow," he argued.
"You've got to use every bullet in the gun that you can to try to advance the cause.
"If the thing becomes more popular, then the smaller teams have a better chance to get a bigger sponsor too.
"Any team would obviously have the opportunity, not just the top teams, but what's the point for a current Indy champion to go to Sauber or Haas, where your only chance is maybe a top 10?
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