IndyCar driver Marco Andretti said on Wednesday he hopes for a future in formula one, but accused one of the sport's marquee teams of sabotaging his father's career in the 90s.

The 21-year-old American's father, Michael, was Ayrton Senna's teammate for most of 1993, and conventional wisdom recalls that he was replaced by Mika Hakkinen because he was not committed or quick enough.

But Marco Andretti, preparing for the Indy 500, told The Associated Press: "If you ask me, it was sabotage."

With the promising and more affordable test driver Hakkinen waiting in the wings, Andretti - also the grandson of 1978 world champion Mario - says McLaren worked deliberately to make his father look bad.

"They would make the car do weird things in the corner electronically, stuff out of his control," he said, revealing that one of his father's only allies was the late Senna.

"He was one of the few who knew what was really happening in the team, and I think he believed in my father. It was Monza that he really said, 'Give him my car. Give him exactly what I had'," Marco said.

McLaren did not answer a request for comment.

Marco Andretti, meanwhile - who tested for Honda a couple of times more than a year ago - said he would also like to "tackle" the world of grand prix racing, but only with a front-running car.

"I don't have any other mentality other than to go over there and win," he said, suggesting that the IRL and Indy 500 titles would "help" attract teams' attention.

Andretti explained: "I think it's a bigger story if I go over there and fail, really. Because that's what people are waiting for, to be honest, over there."

Source: GMM