The greatest motorsport dynasties of all time

Joining the family business can often be a stressful and relationship-breaking decision, but for some, following in the footsteps of a parent or sibling is the most natural thing in the world.

This is as true in motorsport as anywhere else, and over the decades there have been numerous instances of close relationships hitting the racetracks and the stages. However, some families take it more seriously than others as generations of racing drivers are more or less born with a steering wheel in hand. Some were more successful than others, with the family’s trophy cabinets groaning under the weight of the silverware, while others struggled to make a name for themselves, this time under the weight of anticipation.

Which are the greatest dynasties? Well, we’ve focused on four-wheel motorsport for this list (sorry to the Dunlop and Marquez fans out there) so here are our top ten picks.

Andretti

If the US left its republic and established a monarchy, it would be very likely that the Andrettis would be their royal family. Mario and his son Michael would probably be their king and prince regent, having won five Indycar titles and a Formula 1 World Championship from the late 1960s to 2007. In 1983 they even took a Le Mans podium when they shared a Porsche 962, then finished the same race in sixth in 1988, this time with Michael’s brother and his Indycar colleague Jeff as passengers.

In the early days of Mario’s career, he also competed against twin brother Aldo, whose sons Adam and John had also joined the family business. The latter won in NASCAR, Indycar and Sports Cars. Now there is a third generation of Andrettis, with Michael’s son Marco having two wins and twenty podiums in Indycar since his debut in 2006, while John’s son Jarett is in the IMSA sports car series.

Brabham

When Jack Brabham moved from Australia to Great Britain in 1955, he started a motorsport dynasty that continues to this day. Jack’s achievements are well documented, but it’s always worth noting that not only did he win the F1 world title three times, but his final championship was secured with a car from his team and his own name – the first and currently only time this was achieved .

Even so, he found the time to have three sons – Geoff, Gary and David. Focused on America, Geoff competed in Indy Cars and won four consecutive IMSA GT sports car titles with Nissan between 1988 and 1991. The younger brother Gary was British F3000 Champion in 1989 and won the Sebring three hours later, 12 hours later. David wasn’t a sucker either, with spells in F1 on either side of his British F3 title and the 2009 Le Mans win with Peugeot.

The racing legacy continues with Geoff’s son Matthew, who has driven in Indycar and is a two-time Stadium Truck Champion in the United States. David’s son Sam drove in the British Porsche Carrera Cup and can claim an even stronger dose of racing DNA, as his mother is the sister of Kiwi Mike Thackwell, who was at one point an F1 racing driver and 1982 F2 champion.