Mario Andretti confirms bar fight with film star Burt Reynolds
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The gist
Former F1 world champion Mario Andretti confirmed to The Telegraph he once fought film star Burt Reynolds at a New York bar.
Andretti also praised Lewis Hamilton's 2026 Ferrari form and hopes Ferrari can fight for the 2027 title.
Background
Mario Andretti is the 1978 Formula 1 world champion and a major American racing figure. The fight story surfaced publicly through actor Jay Chandrasekhar, who said Reynolds — the film star of the 2001 CART IndyCar-based movie "Driven," who died in 2018 — told it to him; Andretti then confirmed the fight itself to The Telegraph. The same week, Andretti gave his verdict on the 2026 F1 season, praising Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc and saying he hopes Ferrari can challenge for the world championship in 2027.
How it unfolded
- Oct 21, 2026Cadillac F1 CEO Dan Towriss, speaking at IFS Unleashed 2026 in Orlando, said the Cadillac F1 project began with a phone call from Andretti, telling him the consortium Andretti assembled were "all frauds" but that he would get Andretti to Formula One.
- Oct 24, 2026Andretti gave his verdict on Kimi Antonelli and expressed his hopes for Ferrari, per a Speedweek article.
- Oct 24, 2026Andretti praised Lewis Hamilton's 2026 Ferrari performances and said he hopes Ferrari can challenge for the world championship in 2027.
- Oct 25, 2026Andretti confirmed to The Telegraph that he once fought Burt Reynolds at a bar in New York.
Who’s saying what
- Andretti
- He said he was "a little faster" than Reynolds and "beat him up," adding that they had a beer together later.
- Andretti
- He said Hamilton "has bounced back like a true champion" and that Leclerc "continues to prove himself an excellent driver," hoping Ferrari can fight for the 2027 title, perhaps against Antonelli.
- Cadillac
- CEO Dan Towriss said he told Andretti the investors in his consortium were "all frauds" and that he would get Andretti to Formula One himself.
Still unverified
The detailed account of the fight — including an ethnic slur Reynolds allegedly used for Andretti and the exchange where Reynolds said "I'm Burt Reynolds" and the other man replied "I'm Mario Andretti" — comes from actor Jay Chandrasekhar's claim that Reynolds told him the story; Andretti confirmed to The Telegraph only that he had fought Reynolds.