At 85 years old – which, incidentally, doesn't show – Andretti is still a very popular and respected figure in the paddock. He is constantly stopped by fans wanting to take a photo with him, but also by well-known faces in the motorsport world such as Mark Webber and Juan Pablo Montoya. Everyone wants to have a chat with the racing legend, who had been in the paddock of the Miami International Circuit for less than half an hour at that moment.

In the exclusive chat with GPblog, Andretti also discusses the birth of Lily Verstappen. He answers the frequently asked question: does becoming a father slow Verstappen down as a driver? That question makes him somewhat laugh.

“Everybody is hoping [it makes him slower],” says Andretti. “I would not bet on that one. He knows what he's doing. He's a full 100% racer.”

Andretti himself is living proof that the birth of a child does not necessarily slow a driver down. He became a father at a young age to his first son, Michael Andretti, and later had another son, Jeff, and a daughter, Barbie. Only after that did Mario achieve his greatest successes, including his four IndyCar titles and the Formula 1 World Championship in 1978.

“I had children at a young age, and I always felt that that was a very precious part of my life, but it was always a place for it. I'm still reminded by my daughter that I was not able to make her school graduation,” smiles the director of the board of the new F1 team Cadillac.

With Lily Verstappen's undeniable racing genes, there is already much speculation about what her future might look like. Max Verstappen previously stated that he hopes his child will not wish to become a racing driver, but that he would support her if that were the case. Andretti recognizes himself in this: “it's important that you encourage your children to do what they like."

He emphasizes the importance of children choosing their own path. “She [Andretti's daughter] was six years younger. But she wanted her attention. So she got into singing, she did all the other things. So there was competitive spirit. But if she would have said, 'Dad, I think I want to do some driving,' then I'd say, 'okay, I'll help you.' But you leave it up to them. If you push it, it's not good,” he explains.

The racing legend does not see gender as an obstacle: “I think the gender doesn't matter, in my opinion. The sport is open to all.”

That Verstappen himself previously said he hopes his child would not become a driver, Andretti fully understands. “That's a natural feeling from a father, because there's a danger element. I know how I felt when I stepped out of the cockpit and now I realize how even my wife was feeling by seeing me on the track and me seeing my own kids on the track . When I'm on the side watching, then I can't watch the start," he laughs.