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“You’ve got to have a feeling that you belong and that was extra special because it was with Ferrari.” “Denny was leading and blew up and I took the lead and Jackie couldn’t catch me, so that was my first win. “It was a good battle between Stewart, (Denis) Hulme and myself with Regga and Ickx close by,” recalled the man who would go on to win 12 F1 races, 17 pole positions and the 1978 world championship during that decade. Regga and Jacky Ickx (eighth) were also in Ferraris. Jackie Stewart was on pole for the South African GP in a Cosworth-powered Tyrrell next to Matra’s Chris Amon, with Clay Regazzoni and Mario comprising Row 2. “Kyalami was a fun circuit to drive with lots of elevation changes and Ferrari gave me equal equipment to my teammates. “That was a big moment, one of those I’ll always cherish,” said the 81-year-old legend on the eve of that milestone. In only his 10th start over four fractured seasons, Andretti scored his initial Formula 1 victory at Kyalami on Madriving for Ferrari and it helped change the trajectory of his amazing career. He spoke highly of the young Brit before he had even begun racing for Mercedes – lauding the job he did for Williams towards the tail end of his final season with the team.The words “Andretti” and “Ferrari” just sound good together, and 50 years ago this weekend, they were best of the best in South Africa. "If you look at his performance last year, not only in qualifying but also his strength in the race, you have to see him as a revelation," the 82-year-old said.Īndretti's praise of Russell should come as little surprise. His performances earned praise from a wide range of voices, the latest being 1978 drivers' champion Andretti. But that's what Russell did, scoring 35 points more than his Mercedes team-mate thanks to his consistent results.

He also lived up to the billing when called up to replace the Covid-stricken Lewis Hamilton in Sakhir in 2020, and may have won the race had it not been for a team pit stop blunder followed by a puncture.Įven despite that, not many expected him to outshine seven-time world champion Hamilton over the course of the season. The Brit was always expected to fare well with the Silver Arrows, after impressing in his early Formula 1 years with Williams. George Russell was "a revelation" in his impressive first season as a Mercedes driver, in the eyes of former champion Mario Andretti.