Mar.13 (GMM) Mario Andretti on Saturday said he will get involved with the new Malaysian backed formula one team Lotus.

The Italian-American, in Bahrain for Saturday's on-track display of F1's 60 year history, won the world championship at the wheel of the famous black Lotus 79 in 1978.

The relaunched team is not directly connected to the original Lotus, but 60-year-old Andretti said the new management has asked him to get involved.

"There might become a little bit more of an involvement on my part, because they seem to be very proud of the brand that obviously they are there representing," he told reporters.

Asked what form his involvement will take, the winner of 12 grands prix answered: "We'll see -- stay tuned."

When asked to comment as an American on the failure of the USF1 team, he said Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor had been "shooting too high", and he called the absence on the calendar of a US grand prix an "unthinkable travesty".

Latest F1 News - Mobile version

26 Feb: New Ferrari not quickest in field - Domenicali 26 Feb: Red Bull still best in 2013 - Tost 26 Feb: 2014 French grand prix 'possible' - Prost 26 Feb: Danica Patrick 'not interested' in F1 switch 26 Feb: Report - Gilles Simon working on F1 engine for Honda 26 Feb: Gutierrez plays down link to Carlos Slim 26 Feb: Caterham exhaust 'legal' insists van der Garde 26 Feb: McLaren replaces Mercedes-bound Lowe 25 Feb: 'Engine maps' trouble for Red Bull, Lotus - report 25 Feb: Mercedes-bound Lowe to miss 2013 opener - report 25 Feb: Mercedes 'in group of teams' behind Red Bull - Lauda 25 Feb: Gutierrez expects Hulkenberg to beat him early in 2013 25 Feb: New Ferrari 'much better' than 2012 - Massa 25 Feb: Teams 'will adapt' to new tyre situation - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Tight rules make today's F1 cars 'the same' - Forghieri 25 Feb: Williams removes controversial exhaust trick 25 Feb: Contract 'conflicts' cause of Marussia test snub - Razia 25 Feb: Lotus to fight Red Bull for title - Gutierrez 25 Feb: Marussia 'ahead of Caterham' - Chilton 25 Feb: Sutil will not stay in F1 as test driver The latest F1 News - Mobile Version