86-year-old Mario Andretti, one of America’s greatest racers, is one of only two Americans to win a drivers’ championship in Formula 1. Apart from this, he has also won the most prestigious titles of motor racing like the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. This story of Mario is a great lesson for every person who wants to reach the top in his life or career. Mario considers his thinking to be the biggest secret of his success. ‘I hate being average,’ he says. Or rather, I don’t respect it at all, because it’s too convenient. There is no stress in this. When he stepped into the top level of racing, his goal was not just to compete, but to defeat the legends who were at the peak at that time. Sharing an anecdote from his early days, Mario says – One of the greatest racers of that era was A.J. It was Foyt. He was five years older than Mario and an established champion. Mario’s crew chief told him to just get the car back safely. Don’t even think about defeating Foyt. But Mario wondered if he couldn’t beat them, then what were he doing in this race? Mario did not give up. He aimed to go straight to the top and when he defeated Foyt, it was the most satisfying moment of his life. In his first year at IndyCar’s top level, Mario became the youngest driver to win a national championship. Many people said that it was just his luck. Mario took this as a new challenge. He won another championship, then finished second twice and then won another title. ‘What always motivated me was that I was never satisfied with my achievements,’ says Mario. I wanted to prove that my victory was no fluke. I always kept challenging myself. Even at the age of 86, Mario has not stopped. Along with his son Michael, he is working towards starting a new American team in Formula 1. In the words of Mario, ‘Anyone can do easy work, there is no satisfaction in it. I am still waiting to do something new and this is what keeps me alive. Embraced change, even changed your driving style. When you are in a competitive environment, you cannot stay at one place. The year 1977 brought a major revolution in the aerodynamics of racing cars in the form of ‘ground effects’. For this, Mario had to change his driving style. They welcomed this change wholeheartedly because they were able to see its benefits. ‘There is no golf club or bat in our game,’ says Mario. We have a race car with hundreds of parts. With the right modifications, you can make the car faster.’
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