Danica 'dead set' on move to F1

[Alfa Fan]

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news ... to_f1.html (http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news/162648-0/danica_'dead_set'_on_move_to_f1.html)

IndyCar's latest new winner Danica Patrick has dismissed criticism from a former world champion that she is not good enough for Formula 1, by insisting she is ‘dead set' on making the move into the top flight in the future.

LOL is my only response. She wins one IndyCar race of how many 100 on fuel mileage on an oval and now she's ready for F1?

[harvick#1]

news flash, those guys won't lay down for Danica, she'll get eaten alive, even if she was in a Ferrari or Mclaren.

shes not even really good on road/street courses, mid pack driver at best.

and with no TC and more power, she would lose it alot

[seppefan]

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news/162648-0/danica_'dead_set'_on_move_to_f1.html

IndyCar's latest new winner Danica Patrick has dismissed criticism from a former world champion that she is not good enough for Formula 1, by insisting she is ‘dead set' on making the move into the top flight in the future.

LOL is my only response. She wins one IndyCar race of how many 100 on fuel mileage on an oval and now she's ready for F1?

She also said she would look at NASCAR......

[DavePI2]

as silly as she sounds, is she any less credible the marco? He is still making the same mistakes two years later. Still I agree if she thinks she will ever be ready she is dreaming.

David

[beachbum]

One of the funniest articles I have read in some time. One win and she thinks she is the next World Champion.

[bblocker68]

If she couldn't win in Toyota Atlantics, then she has no chance in F1. She has no chance in GP2. She'd be lucky to win in F3.

Good Lord, what a joke.

[BenRoethig]

Well, she'd definitely fit in when it comes to whining. Ability, on the other hand might be a little suspect.

[D28]

It might be interesting at this point to compare DP results to those of other women drivers. Desire Wilson (South Africa) became the first and so far only F1 winner, in the 1980 Brands Hatch race of the British Formula 1 Series. She also shared a win in World Prototypes in the same year with Alain DeCadenet at Monza and Silverstone. Based on these results she would have to be ranked the most sucessful women thus far.Lella Lombardi (Italy) won the respect of her peers in the highly competitive American F 5000 series in the 1970s. She also competed in F1 on merit, becoming the only women to score World championship points with a sixth at the shortened 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Katherine Legge (England), who I would rate above DP, won 3 Formula Atlantic races in 2005. Finally Simona DeSilvestro (Switzerland) won the Long Beach F Atlantic last week end. Probably the real story involved two women winning professional open wheel races on the same week-end. There may be wins for other women I am not familiar with.To talk of a F1 drive for DP based on her current record is wildly optomistic.

[Chaparral66]

A winner on an oval does not an F1 driver make. But nothing is impossible. Still, she needs a helluva lot more seat time on roadcourses before even being able to think about F1's development series, let alone F1. Seabass is in F1 because he was winning so much, and always a threat to win. A win is a win, I refuse to use fuel mileage to take away from her victory, but she'll need many more wins turning both right and left before Our Good Friend Bernie E. will stop laughing enough to seriously consider advocating for a test that is other than a publicity stunt.

[Jag_Warrior]

Guys, stop making jokes! This isn't funny!!! A pal of mine used to work with the D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). And according to him, one of the first things that you look for is the kid becoming detached from reality. Danica doesn't deserve our scorn and laughter at a time like this. She deserves our help! I suggest we arrange some sort of group intervention.

But I fear that it may be too late for "The Danica". We can see her, but she may be too far gone to reach. She seems to be in a world where a career which has but one professional win gets the driver a seat in Formula One or NASCAR. Another young mind lost to "the stuff". :(

So, as a libertarian, all I can say is, smoke it if it makes ya feel good, Danica.

[NickFalzone]

I wonder if that quote was taken out of context. I think she's a fairly good IndyCar driver especially on ovals, but her chance at F1, if it ever existed, came and went. She gets good at road and street and wins a championship in the next season or two, maybe. But let's get real, it aint happening. I have much more respect for drivers like Dixon or TK who dominate this series, and respect it enough to make it their career and not some stepstool.

[PSfan]

A few thoughts regarding that article

Whilst three-time title-winner Nelson Piquet suggested the IndyCar Series was an inadequate training ground for someone wishing to switch across to grand prix racing

And he should know, his son, Nelson Piquet "I'm not Junior" jr. certainly doesn't appear to have gone to the right training grounds either based on his performance this year.

“During my three years in England, I followed Formula 1 closely and became dead set on racing in it,” confessed Patrick

How old was she when she was "dead set" on racing F1? ahhh the ignorance of youth.

“First I want to contend for the IndyCar championship, though, and then we'll see what opportunities arise.”

Ah, guess we won't have to worry about that in a real long time :p :

[Cart750hp]

news flash, those guys won't lay down for Danica, she'll get eaten alive, even if she was in a Ferrari or Mclaren.

shes not even really good on road/street courses, mid pack driver at best.

and with no TC and more power, she would lose it alot

You know what, I agree with you but for the sake of argument, I would like for her to be in F1. To prove to the world how women nowadays are very competitive and I would like to be proven how she will be competitive in F1. But I think she knows her own limit that's why ain't no way she's taking that challenge. I'd encourage her though.

[Jag_Warrior]

Danica should be proud of her race win. And Paris Hilton should be proud of the fact that she got her GED. But Danica isn't going to be in F1 anymore than Paris is going to be majoring in physics at MIT. I realize that AOWR has survived on fantasies for the past decade or so. But this is a good one. Popularity does not equal ability. I'm sorry, but it doesn't.

[Fangio]

So, you guys are saying she should not be compared to Anna Kornikova anymore, but is now delusional enough to be Britney Spears?

:D

[DexDexter]

Well, she'd definitely fit in when it comes to whining. Ability, on the other hand might be a little suspect.

Since when have F1 drivers (except Alonso) been whiners? But of course you know better. Anyway, the last woman in F1 was Giovanna Amati in 1992, and she was 3 seconds a lap slower than her teammate Eric Van De Poele. Nothing suggests Danica could do any better...

[Dr. Krogshöj]

Maybe she should try herself in GP2 before and see if she can win a few races like a certain EJ Viso.

[millencolin]

Maybe she should try herself in GP2 before and see if she can win a few races like a certain EJ Viso.

She doesn't have to do that, cause she doesn't know who he is. :p :

I would love to see danica in gp2, let alone f1! what a laugh that would be. Can someone inform me of her best finish on a non-oval race please?

It seems her attitude has changed after winning that one single race. Is this another case of an athlete believing their own hype?

Seriously, she does not stand a chance in formula one. F1 drivers are kings of road circuits. Justin Wilson (arguably the best road racer to come over from Champ Car), couldn't cut it. Will Power, as much as I believe in him, would struggle. Ryan Briscoe tested for toyotaf1 for years and it led to nothing. Yet these three drivers are the best F1 capable drivers the Indycar series has. Although I believe that these three guys would do a job of a Kazuki Nakajima or Adrian Sutil, they wouldn't be challenging the top rung for a while.

[BobGarage]

Can someone inform me of her best finish on a non-oval race please?


2nd at detroit last year.
although that was when everyone else in front of her crashed out in the last few laps.

[underpowered]

But let's get real, it aint happening. I have much more respect for drivers like Dixon or TK who dominate this series, and respect it enough to make it their career and not some stepstool.

Yea....but no-one really talks about the good drivers in this Forum. Almost every thread here has posts about Danica in it......Drives me insane....

Not too many threads about TK......

[seppefan]

Maybe she should try herself in GP2 before and see if she can win a few races like a certain EJ Viso.

Exactly but I feel her ego is too big to take the step down now. Marco has not, why not as the Andrettis can afford it. Graham Rahal said he would but would he now? A step back only works when you win the Championship and these drivers are nervous to take such a risk. Cannot say I blame them.
I see more GP2 people crossing the Atlantic as the IRL gets stronger than US based drivers doing the opposite. Maybe some from Atlantics will do it. Also the cash scenario is still better in the US.


One reason why Pantano is a real hero, year three or four in GP2 and still a winner after being at Jordan and then dumped by EJ after EJ had taken his cash for the race but put ( Glock I think ) another driver in the car and kept the money which came from his girlfriend. Wonder if she still is.

[nanders]

"but she admitted in an interview with British newspaper the Daily Star that her heart had been set on F1 from an early age, right back to when she competed in the UK at the tender age of 16."

had = past tense.

[BobGarage]

"interview with British newspaper the Daily Star

and what a reputable newspaper that is ;)

[indycool]

As I read that story on crash.net, the "had" part is significant, as is the part about wanting to win an ICS championship first.

That doesn't seem like ego to me, only desire, and much more realistic than declaring at Motegi that Monaco was her next stop. She basically said there were bridges to cross before she was likely to make any changes. IMO, sounds pretty logical.

[Komahawk]

Except for Indycool's post it's just the latest in a long line of "Let's bash Danica" threads.

As far as F1 being the top series, I'd like to see Alonso or Raikkonnen qualifying and finishing fourth at Indy in their first attempt. But, oops, I forgot. They don't have the ***** to compete there.

[harvick#1]

JPM competed in his only race with a different car then he was used too and whipped everyone silly.

Bourdais was doing the same thing running in the top 5 all day long before something failed and he crashed.

another note: the GP of Monaco is the same weekend as Indy, really think they would go to Indy instead of Monaco

[JSH]

Except for Indycool's post it's just the latest in a long line of "Let's bash Danica" threads.

As far as F1 being the top series, I'd like to see Alonso or Raikkonnen qualifying and finishing fourth at Indy in their first attempt. But, oops, I forgot. They don't have the ***** to compete there.

So instead why not make another BS "F1 drivers have no *****s cos they don't run ovals" thread.

[Komahawk]

So instead why not make another BS "F1 drivers have no ***** cos they don't run ovals" thread.

That's not what I suggested, but if you like feel free to post such a thread.

[indycool]

To each his own series. Today, F1 is different from NASCAR, different from ICS, different from WoO. More money in it, and worldwide, more prestige I guess, but to me it's just a DIFFERENT racing series.

Eddie Irvine, before the first USGP at Indy, said they shouldn't run F1 there because of the walls, speeds and danger. That was about the time a 19-year-old American college girl named Sarah Fisher ran 225 in qualifying and didn't wuss.

Michael Schumacher may not want to do the Indianapolis 500 because of the danger involved, but Steve Kinser and Jack Hewitt relished their "months of May." Never even mind about sprint cars at Eldora for some.

Some may think 300 miles an hour is too fast, but John Force doesn't. And a Force might not want to do what Nicky Hayden does because of apprehensions, but Hayden does it.

But as Komahawk suggests, do not diminish the achievement of starting fourth and finishing fourth in the Indianapolis 500. One, it's more than twice as long as any F1 race and they average 100 mph or so faster. Two, it has the largest audience of any race in the world in the world's largest seating facility. There's more, but stating the obvious.

I posted this in the F1 forum, but it also fit's in here...

On the subject of Danica Patrick wanting to have a go in Formula One....I don't see anything wrong in any racing driver stating such an ambition.

I'd be more worried if they didn't.

Sure, there are better drivers in IndyCar (Dixon would not be out of place in F1 by any means) and there are young drivers with more potential in IndyCar (Graham Rahal possibly), but then there are and have been better drivers and young drivers with more potential than quite a few who have been in Formula One, so it's not going to set a dangerous precedent if Danica did get an F1 drive.

If she gets a chance and doesn't perform, she'll be out. Just like everybody else.

[JSH]

That's not what I suggested, but if you like feel free to post such a thread.

Dude that's EXACTLY what you suggested with your...



But, oops, I forgot. They don't have the b_lls to compete there.


And just for the record, and to get back OT... I think it's great that Danica got a win. I think she deserves it. And if she wants to go to F1 then great! Go for it.

Do I think she'd do well?? Dunno. There's been worse in F1 and there will be in the future.

[DavePI2]

First if she thinks the fact she is a woman will overrule the fact she is a lousy road course driver she is dreaming. F1 owners could care less about her being a woman , and by her own admission she is a lousy road course driver. I don't remember her exact words but she said she had thought road courses would be her best and ovals her weakest and it didn't turn out that way and she is still making mistakes. What team would want her anyway? Certainly not McClaren,or Ferarri. So dream on Danica, if Shorty couldn't make it , you won't either.

David

[indycool]

Key word in her statements is "had," from which she was talking several years ago. People change, desires change, situations change. About the only thing I can think of that's the same for me from several years ago is that I'm still in love with Julia Roberts.

[DavePI2]

hard to argue with that indy, and I will always be in love with jane seymour

David

[garyshell]

Julia Roberts it too "goofy". Jane Seymour is too... well Jane Seymour. Salma Hayek, not THAT'S a woman. <sigh>

Gary

[Ranger]

Except for Indycool's post it's just the latest in a long line of "Let's bash Danica" threads.

As far as F1 being the top series, I'd like to see Alonso or Raikkonnen qualifying and finishing fourth at Indy in their first attempt. But, oops, I forgot. They don't have the ***** to compete there.

Using your convoluted logic, I could say that Nigel Mansell only went to IndyCar as F1 champion in 1993 because he didn't have the balls to face Alain Prost as a team-mate again in F1. That makes as much sense as your above comment.

Back to the topic.

An F1 test for Danica would be interesting regardless of the meaning you extrapolate from her comments, it would be interesting to hear what an F1 team says of her input, driving and feedback.

[JTK]

I posted this in the F1 forum, but it also fit's in here...

On the subject of Danica Patrick wanting to have a go in Formula One....I don't see anything wrong in any racing driver stating such an ambition.

I'd be more worried if they didn't.

Sure, there are better drivers in IndyCar (Dixon would not be out of place in F1 by any means) and there are young drivers with more potential in IndyCar (Graham Rahal possibly), but then there are and have been better drivers and young drivers with more potential than quite a few who have been in Formula One, so it's not going to set a dangerous precedent if Danica did get an F1 drive.

If she gets a chance and doesn't perform, she'll be out. Just like everybody else.

She did great to win at Motegi and will probably win again in IndyCar though it will over the next few years become a much more competitive series. It will be interesting to see what she really wants to do, she can probably now do whatever she wants and her earnings are assured for many years to come. Does she want to win more in IndyCar and possibly challenge for the title. NASCAR I am sure would welcome her but I think it will be really difficult for her to be competitive there amongst 42 other top notch starters in each race. F1 is different, no ovals, and she has admitted that she still struggles somewhat on non-oval tracks, also there are usually only about 2/3 teams that have a chance of winning and does she want to just "poddle around" in a non competitive team. Cant see Ferrari, McLaren or BMW taking her on.

Indeed its going to be difficult for any Indy/Champ Car driver to make it in F1, Bourdais was brilliant in ChampCar and probably deserved a drive in the Renault at least but he is in a non competitive team and unfortunately dont see him being given a chance in a top team. Anyway interesting future for Danica.

[BenRoethig]

Using your convoluted logic, I could say that Nigel Mansell only went to IndyCar as F1 champion in 1993 because he didn't have the balls to face Alain Prost as a team-mate again in F1. That makes as much sense as your above comment.

Back to the topic.

An F1 test for Danica would be interesting regardless of the meaning you extrapolate from her comments, it would be interesting to hear what an F1 team says of her input, driving and feedback.

Nigel Mansell hails from the days when they still had to drive the car and WDC actually meant something. Computers, engineers, and quarter billion dollar budgets do that now.

[CHAMPMOM]

From the article:

“First I want to contend for the IndyCar championship, though, and then we'll see what opportunities arise.”

Tell me, What professional doesn't look to advance their career? She's only 26 years old! What 26 year old wants to stay were they are at? When I was 26 year old, I was eager and wanting to further my career.

Keep working hard Danica, the opportunities are there, you just need to earn them. :)

[Ranger]

Nigel Mansell hails from the days when they still had to drive the car and WDC actually meant something. Computers, engineers, and quarter billion dollar budgets do that now.

My original comment was tongue in cheek... :p :

...having said that, Mansell did win his only title in a team that had the biggest budget, the best engineers, the best computer systems and a car which was one of the most dominant cars ever.

I really don't see how the WDC means any less now as opposed to 10, 20 or even 50 years ago.

[/hijack]

Nigel Mansell hails from the days when they still had to drive the car and WDC actually meant something. Computers, engineers, and quarter billion dollar budgets do that now.

Mansell's 1992 F1 championship-winning Williams FW12B had Active suspension, Traction Control, ABS and semi-automatic gearbox, which needed State-Of-The-Art Computers & Engineers.

As far as "Driver-Aids" went, it had the full-monty.

[DexDexter]

Nigel Mansell hails from the days when they still had to drive the car and WDC actually meant something. Computers, engineers, and quarter billion dollar budgets do that now.

I'm just curious, why do I see this type of text time and time again from an American poster. Sour grapes? F1 is better now that it has ever been, last year's championship is a great proof of that and the drivers are now more professional than ever. Just look at them, they are real athletes and the margins between them are incredibly small. Mansell's championship was a joke, anyone who knows anything about F1 knows that. 2,5 seconds a lap faster than Ayrton Senna in Brasil 1992 qualifying says it all...

[indycool]

Dex, I think you see it because F1 isn't as popular in the U.S. as it is in other countries because you have many more choices for sports (and racing) entertainment in the U.S. than any other country. It's respected, but it's "something over there."

[grantb4]

Maybe as a commentator or pit reporter :)

[Komahawk]

Dude that's EXACTLY what you suggested with your...



And just for the record, and to get back OT... I think it's great that Danica got a win. I think she deserves it. And if she wants to go to F1 then great! Go for it.

Do I think she'd do well?? Dunno. There's been worse in F1 and there will be in the future.


It's NOT what I suggested. If it came over that way I apologise. What I suggested is that if some driver from some other series thinks he can outclass her then just skip the big talk, take it to the track and let's see who comes out on top. It's safe to say that Danica will likely outperform most if not all F1 drivers on their first oval attempt, on the other hand I'm sure most of them would beat her on a road circuit.

Personally, I'm not sure if she'd do well in F1. Depends on the team I guess. I agree that there've been less talented drivers in the series. I also think that there's other IRL drivers who deserve the test more than her, but don't have the same connections nor the commercial value as Danica.

On another note, I still don't get it why someone would even want to run in a series which not even remotely has an even playing field. Is it really that much fun to get lapped every race, just because your car has less horsepower and worse aerodynamics than the others? Or having to retire because of mechanicals and engine failures every second race? Would you really prefer that to the IRL and seriously competing for wins, especially in Indianapolis?
Money makes the world go round I guess.

[icehammer97]

as silly as she sounds, is she any less credible the marco? He is still making the same mistakes two years later. Still I agree if she thinks she will ever be ready she is dreaming.

David

I think Marco is more credible then Danica because 1. His one win (another fuel run) was on a road course. 2. He has won in the IPS where she never won a race in Atlantics. 3. He makes mistakes but on Road Courses is much more comfortable then she looks. 4. He is much younger and has time to delevop. If Honda made him a test driver next year then he could be ready to race in another year or two after that.

This is why Danica will never be in F1. It took Seabastian Bourdais 3 straight championships and dominating a series that was very similar to F1 (all road and street courses) to get a ride and he was from Europe and had already driven GP2 and i am pretty sure had already been a test driver in F1. Finally F1 doesn't need a publicity stunt as a driver. Even with it having almost no fans in the U.S. it is still the most popular series out there. And they have shown they don't care about America so they aren't going out of their way to find an American driver.

[Komahawk]

Bourdais was never in GP2. F1 had plenty publicity stunt drivers, most recently Scott Speed who was advertised as "obviously the best American driver out there". It could be argued that several current F1 drivers got their ride through connections rather than performance.
Marco and Graham are stronger on road circuits than Danica, but if Danica should happen to win the '500 and HondaF1 drop Barrichello then she's a realistic candidate.

[indycool]

This is really a bogus discussion because the title of the thread is inaccurate.

1. She said, if you READ her quote, that she was "dead set" on F1 some years back.

2. She said, if you READ the story, that she wanted to win an ICS championship first.

People change. The world changes. Situations change. Except for wanting to live a life of leisure with Julia Roberts on an island in the South Pacific for the rest of my life, I'VE changed.

I realize there are some on the forum who believe the goal of every race driver on earth is to be in F1. I don't.

[Mr Peppermill]

I think Marco is more credible then Danica because 1. His one win (another fuel run) was on a road course. 2. He has won in the IPS where she never won a race in Atlantics. 3. He makes mistakes but on Road Courses is much more comfortable then she looks. 4. He is much younger and has time to delevop. If Honda made him a test driver next year then he could be ready to race in another year or two after that.

This is why Danica will never be in F1. It took Seabastian Bourdais 3 straight championships and dominating a series that was very similar to F1 (all road and street courses) to get a ride and he was from Europe and had already driven GP2 and i am pretty sure had already been a test driver in F1. Finally F1 doesn't need a publicity stunt as a driver. Even with it having almost no fans in the U.S. it is still the most popular series out there. And they have shown they don't care about America so they aren't going out of their way to find an American driver.
Sure, F1 dosen't needs a publicity stunt as a driver, but there are tems in F1 that most definitly could use one.

Danica maybe a once in a lifetime opportunity. It may never happen again(at least for a very, very long time) that we see a girl with her skills and her looks on the race tracks.

Her publicity value alone makes it stupid not to sign her, or at least give here some serious tests.

[Jag_Warrior]

Bourdais was never in GP2.

No, but F3000 essentially occupied the same position as GP2 does now.


F1 had plenty publicity stunt drivers, most recently Scott Speed who was advertised as "obviously the best American driver out there".

Speed actually outqualified and outraced Luizzi on more than a couple of occasions. The Red Bull program was full of holes, but it was about more than just creating "stunt divers". And I never saw any such advertisment touting Speed as "obviously the best American driver out there." Outside of maybe his family thinking that, I don't believe any such ad existed.



It could be argued that several current F1 drivers got their ride through connections rather than performance.

It would be hard to find an F1 driver who DIDN'T get a ride through connections at some point, including Senna and Schumacher. Where I think Danica would stand out, were she to be "placed" in F1 by Honda: she would probably qualify as the least accomplished driver to ever make it to (modern) F1.


Marco and Graham are stronger on road circuits than Danica, but if Danica should happen to win the '500 and HondaF1 drop Barrichello then she's a realistic candidate.

Without proving her worth on a roadcourse, she could win "the 500" several years in a row, and that still wouldn't make her a realistic candidate for Formula One. Based on what I read today, I do think that Honda will test her in the near future. But her chance of replacing Barrichello at Honda F1 are about as realistic as my chance of finding Ivanka Trump in my hot tub late at night.

If Danica is in demand at Honda F1, it is for PR and marketing reasons (IMO). Why else would an F1 team want her? Name me one reason, outside of PR and marketing. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[Vegasguy]

I think a good first step in that Direction would be the Acura ALMS ride for AGR of all teams. Do the 12 hr next Feb and see how she does.

I realize there are some on the forum who believe the goal of every race driver on earth is to be in F1. I don't.

Neither do I. If a driver, especially one with an American racing background, does not express an interest in Formula One, it is quite understandable. It's not on the radar of everyone and isn't everybody's goal. That's perfectly ok.

Likewise, if I driver does express, or has expressed in the past, a desire to do F1, then I don't see why anyone should criticise them for having that ambition.

A racing driver without ambition, be it to win the F1 title, the Borg Warner trophy, the Nextel Cup or just the next race they are in, isn't a racing driver.

If Danica is in demand at Honda F1, it is for PR and marketing reasons (IMO). Why else would an F1 team want her? Name me one reason, outside of PR and marketing. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

As for PR, don't forget that Honda's PR in F1 is run by Simon Fuller, the man who brought us the Spice Girls so it might appear that would be a possibility.

However, just a quick look at Honda's race-team driver choices shows that they are not easily swayed by good-PR. They dropped Sato, the Japanese favourite. If they were concerned about PR over performance, then that would not have happened.

Danica will, I'm sure, get a test in the Honda, but it doesn't mean anything with regards to a full-time seat.

[Mr Peppermill]

However, just a quick look at Honda's race-team driver choices shows that they are not easily swayed by good-PR. They dropped Sato, the Japanese favourite. If they were concerned about PR over performance, then that would not have happened.Yes, but how much pr-value does Sato have outside Japan?

[indycool]

How much value does the Motegi ICS race have outside Japan? It's a mere "tie" to the homeland on what Honda is doing in racing.

Even Danica qualified it as she'd do it if it was the "real deal" and not just a publicity stunt. Most race drivers would say the same thing. So, somebody got a test. So what?

[SarahFan]

This is really a bogus discussion because the title of the thread is inaccurate.

1. She said, if you READ her quote, that she was "dead set" on F1 some years back.

2. She said, if you READ the story, that she wanted to win an ICS championship first.

People change. The world changes. Situations change. Except for wanting to live a life of leisure with Julia Roberts on an island in the South Pacific for the rest of my life, I'VE changed.

I realize there are some on the forum who believe the goal of every race driver on earth is to be in F1. I don't.

I don't believe for a second that there is an actual competitive race car driver on this planet that if presented with an actual serios competitive F1 ride would even think for a second about passing it up regardless of there past current or future goals (or current drive)

[nanders]

Mansell's 1992 F1 championship-winning Williams FW12B had Active suspension, Traction Control, ABS and semi-automatic gearbox, which needed State-Of-The-Art Computers & Engineers.

As far as "Driver-Aids" went, it had the full-monty.

It could be said that Mansell's Williams was the most technologically advanced car to ever win the world championship as active ride was banned after that season.

[indycool]

Well, Ken, how about Steve Kinser, John Force, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, guys on hundreds of dirt and paved ovals in this country, drag racers, motorcycle racers.

To each his/her own thing. I would much rather, myself, although I'm not a race driver, take a few laps around Indy than a few laps around Monaco.

Contrary to a perception by largely the road racing community, F1 is not the be-all, end-all for EVERYONE in motorsports.

[SarahFan]

Well, Ken, how about Steve Kinser, John Force, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, guys on hundreds of dirt and paved ovals in this country, drag racers, motorcycle racers.

To each his/her own thing. I would much rather, myself, although I'm not a race driver, take a few laps around Indy than a few laps around Monaco.

Contrary to a perception by largely the road racing community, F1 is not the be-all, end-all for EVERYONE in motorsports.


well IC your less a fan of Indycar racing then you are a fan of INDY....so laps around Indy is an emotional response

and it's easy as a fan on a forum to make such a claim...as I have also done..

but ya i'd lump every driver listed in your post and a million more..and still make my claim everyday of the week and twice on race day...

currently a top race winning ride in F1 is the p[innacle of motorsports....take politics sponsors and contracts out of the equation and any and all racers would want to compete at the highest possible level

[indycool]

Ken, they, individually, have to RATE it as the highest possible level. In probably every other country in the world, that's probably so. But in the U.S., IMO, that's just not true.

Afraid we just disagree on that one. I can't speak for every individual race driver, although I feel certain that I could find some who share my viewpoint. On the other hand, your statement refers to ALL. And I just don't think that's true. I believe Jeff Gordon even turned down an F1 test a few years back.

[SarahFan]

Ken, they, individually, have to RATE it as the highest possible level. In probably every other country in the world, that's probably so. But in the U.S., IMO, that's just not true.

Afraid we just disagree on that one. I can't speak for every individual race driver, although I feel certain that I could find some who share my viewpoint. On the other hand, your statement refers to ALL. And I just don't think that's true. I believe Jeff Gordon even turned down an F1 test a few years back.


If Williams and Hendrick cam to J Gordaon and told them they had struck a deal for Jeff to pilot the F1 car for the 2009 season and his salary and Nascar seat was gauranteed for 2010 I'd bety he and any and all other race cars drivers would jump at the chance

[indycool]

And I bet he would not. And I bet THEY ALL would not. As I said, we just disagree completely.

[skyh]

2nd at detroit last year.
although that was when everyone else in front of her crashed out in the last few laps.

And she had been secretly given the power-steering system now installed on all IRL cars. I'm still amazed that that was legal - I guess the IRL ruleset must have a special Danica section.

Like other posters, I find the thought of Danica in F1 hilarious. She'll get the usual token test drive with Honda (probably with unpublished laptimes to avoid embrasssment) - just basic boilerplate PR provided by Honda Corp to promulgate the fiction that IRL drivers could actually be F1 contenders.

I wonder - does Danica really believe her own PR hype? Does she actually believe that she could finish in the top 75% of a GP2 race, let alone F1? Perhaps, to maintain her own self-respect, she has to believe that it's her mad skillz, not the swimsuit photospreads, that got her where she is today.

[skyh]

Bourdais was never in GP2. F1 had plenty publicity stunt drivers, most recently Scott Speed who was advertised as "obviously the best American driver out there". It could be argued that several current F1 drivers got their ride through connections rather than performance.
Marco and Graham are stronger on road circuits than Danica, but if Danica should happen to win the '500 and HondaF1 drop Barrichello then she's a realistic candidate.

Unlike DP, Scott Speed has the track record to justify his F1 drive. He absolutely dominated the US shifter kart championships for several years, won several Star Mazda races in his first season (would probably have won the championship if he'd run all the races), easily made it through the Red Bull driver search selection eliminations, which got him a ride in Europe.

He won 2 championships (Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Renault_2000_Eurocup), German Formula Renault (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Formula_Renault)), and finished 3rd in the GP2 championship behind Rosberg and Kovaleinen. His F1 career was unremarkable, but certainly not an embarassment. He performed adequately with a mediocre team, and I suspect that his eventual departure had more to do with his abrasive personality, and the consequent and public estrangement from the equally abrasive Gerhard Berger, than lack of ability. I don't think he was good enough to be a contender for the F1 crown, but he displayed at least average competence by F1 standards.

Contrast that with DP, who has never won a road-race in any series other than local, junior karting when she was 15 years old. She has one oval win, but unfortunately for her, small drivers don't get a weight advantage outside the IRL, so even an oval victory is unlikely to be available to her in any other series.

[garyshell]

Perhaps you're reading too much into this. I have no pretensions that I'd ever be competitive in an F1 car. Should someone offer me a test drive though, I will guarantee you I will NOT be turning it down. :D


For me it would depend on who is paying for the insurance on the car!!! ;)

Gary

[skyh]

Key word in her statements is "had," from which she was talking several years ago. People change, desires change, situations change. About the only thing I can think of that's the same for me from several years ago is that I'm still in love with Julia Roberts.

I think the point of this discussion is not had or have, but the fact that DP and her PR flacks are holding out the idea of F1 as a future option once she's achieved her Indycar goals. Nowhere in any of that is a remotely realistic assessment of the chances of F1 wanting Danica.

Bascially, her very lucrative marketing career might be damaged were she to say she's staying in the IRL because she hasn't a hope in hell of getting an F1 offer, so she has to present it as though it's she who's not interested in F1, rather than the reverse.

Personally, I find that less honest and less admirable than if she were still "dead set" on F1.

[skyh]

Except for Indycool's post it's just the latest in a long line of "Let's bash Danica" threads.

As far as F1 being the top series, I'd like to see Alonso or Raikkonnen qualifying and finishing fourth at Indy in their first attempt. But, oops, I forgot. They don't have the ***** to compete there.

Are you seriously suggesting DP is a better driver than Alsonso or Raikonen?

[skyh]

Dex, I think you see it because F1 isn't as popular in the U.S. as it is in other countries because you have many more choices for sports (and racing) entertainment in the U.S. than any other country. It's respected, but it's "something over there."

Actually, you have many fewer choices for motor racing entertainment in the US than in Europe, especially on TV. The reason F1 (like soccer) isn't as popular in the US is because of Americocentrism, the insular (and isolated) nature of American culture.

[skyh]

On another note, I still don't get it why someone would even want to run in a series which not even remotely has an even playing field. Is it really that much fun to get lapped every race, just because your car has less horsepower and worse aerodynamics than the others?.

True - after all, nobody gets lapped in the IRL. And all those teams who've been in contention for the championship ... lets see, how many was it ... oh that's right, three.

Or, if you count Toyota's last year, one. Or the year after that, two.

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[BenRoethig]

Actually, you have many fewer choices for motor racing entertainment in the US than in Europe, especially on TV. The reason F1 (like soccer) isn't as popular in the US is because of Americocentrism, the insular (and isolated) nature of American culture.

Funny that we're always wrong because we don't like the same things as europeans do. God forbid anybody be allowed a thought that doesn't originate there.

[skyh]

Sure, F1 dosen't needs a publicity stunt as a driver, but there are tems in F1 that most definitly could use one.

Danica maybe a once in a lifetime opportunity. It may never happen again(at least for a very, very long time) that we see a girl with her skills and her looks on the race tracks.

Her publicity value alone makes it stupid not to sign her, or at least give here some serious tests.

This may be hard for an IRL fan to grasp, but F1 doesn't need drivers for their publicity value. Unlike Tony George's series, F1 has all the publicity it needs simply because it is the acknowledged pinnacle of motorsport. By comparison, NASCAR is like the club series at your local dirt track.

“F1 is regarded as the highest level of racing with the best drivers in the world, and it's very flattering to have that as an opportunity." - Danica Patrick, April 2008.

What opportunity? As I've said before, Danica will be offerfed a PR test with Honda. She was offered one in 2005, but turned it down, no doubt because being 3 seconds off the pace would have been a major embarassment. There will be no F1 ride, but she (and her boosters) will contnue to propgate the transparent BS (as above) that she could be in F1 if she wanted to, but she'd rather stay in the IRL.

[Wilf]

And she had been secretly given the power-steering system now installed on all IRL cars. I'm still amazed that that was legal - I guess the IRL ruleset must have a special Danica section.

Like other posters, I find the thought of Danica in F1 hilarious. She'll get the usual token test drive with Honda (probably with unpublished laptimes to avoid embrasssment) - just basic boilerplate PR provided by Honda Corp to promulgate the fiction that IRL drivers could actually be F1 contenders.

I wonder - does Danica really believe her own PR hype? Does she actually believe that she could finish in the top 75% of a GP2 race, let alone F1? Perhaps, to maintain her own self-respect, she has to believe that it's her mad skillz, not the swimsuit photospreads, that got her where she is today.

I've looked throughout the IRL records and I can't find any reference to power steering, yet it contiues to be something special offered only to DP. I wonder how she gets these special favors. Maybe she had a 25 gallon fuel call for Motegi.

[skyh]

Funny that we're always wrong because we don't like the same things as europeans do. God forbid anybody be allowed a thought that doesn't originate there.

A little touchy, aren't we? Nobody said you're wrong. What is wrong is the claim that American racing offers more entertainment options than European racing. There are far more races and far more series on TV in Europe than in America.

As to the insularity - America is notorious for a lack of interest in, and knowledge of, anything outside their own borders. When I first moved here in 1982, I was staggered by the ignorance of the rest of the world, the lack of international news, and an unthinking assumption that everything American was superior, even when they didn't even know to what it was (supposedly) superior.

By contrast, the people I met in Europe (and from Europe), and the European media, were very knowledgeable about the entire world, not just their own culture. That may be a product of better educational systems (taxes are good for some things, especially when don't have to spend most of your budget on war :eek: ), but it's more than that - in general, Europeans just seem to be more curious about the world outside their own horizons than are Americans.

[skyh]

I've looked throughout the IRL records and I can't find any reference to power steering, yet it contiues to be something special offered only to DP. I wonder how she gets these special favors. Maybe she had a 25 gallon fuel call for Motegi.

It's called reduction-gear steering, I believe. Not true power-steering, but offers the same advantage (less effort, less fatigue, better control). Danica and one of the Vision cars was given it at Detroit and one other road course last year, until the media (Robin Miller, I think) got hold of it, and the ensuing publicity ended that program.

The justification was that it was put on her car for "development" prior to its 2008 release to all teams. The fact that this conferred an secret, unfair advantage to DP was apparently the goal of the bush-league management of the series.
.

[Jag_Warrior]

On another note, I still don't get it why someone would even want to run in a series which not even remotely has an even playing field. Is it really that much fun to get lapped every race, just because your car has less horsepower and worse aerodynamics than the others? Or having to retire because of mechanicals and engine failures every second race? Would you really prefer that to the IRL and seriously competing for wins, especially in Indianapolis?
Money makes the world go round I guess.

If I go back to 2003 or so, will I see a broad variety of teams winning in the IRL? Or will I see three teams basically dominating the standings each and every season? If we were talking about the late 90's, I'd have to agree with you. But since the former CART teams came in, the IRL has basically become what you're criticizing F1 for.

By the way, in 2006, according to Business F1 magazine:
McLaren's total budget was $400 million.
Toyota's budget was $393 million.
Honda's team budget was $382 million.
BMW-Sauber's budget was $378 million.
Ferrari's team budget was $329 million.
Renault's budget was $300 million.

According to Business F1's data, the level of F1 team spending did not create a cause & effect relationship, or even draw a correlation to success in the upper portion of the WDC in 2006... or 2005. Even in 2007 (and I bet 2008), with Honda and Toyota still struggling, all F1 proves is that you can spend yourself silly, if you're not efficient and capable of managing resources within a hyper-speed environment.

To me, F1 represents all the kids who play for keeps, going into a room and taking the SAT's over & over, until they all drop dead or give up, except for the last one standing: the winner. Maybe there are some rich kids who get to take prep courses before the tests. But maybe there are some less wealthy kids who just know how to take tests and regurgetate knowledge faster & better.

IMO, the playing field in F1 is as fair as the one in life (at least in the U.S.): you take the cards you're dealt, you make the best of them and you play them for all they're worth... to the best of your ability.

Social engineering is one way to address society's ills. But I think true competition produces a stronger being, and in the end, a more robust society.

[Jag_Warrior]

OK then. I'll finish my last thought:

Social engineering is one way to address society's ills. But I think true competition produces a stronger being, and in the end, a more robust society. IMO, the basis of the hype around Danica is more about social engineering than true competition. Yes, there have been more than a few others who made it to Formula One, who were less than accomplished. But I can't think of any who had but one race win in their professional career. And I also can't think of any of these (ride-buyers) who attracted any sort of media attention, except when they hit a wall or another car.

Based on how I see F1 and why I've followed F1 for all these years, I'd prefer that Danica-mania stay on this side of the pond, unless it's just to have her do a dog & pony show to get European tweenagers lathered up. I think the Honda F1 test will take place... most likely with unpublished results. And I think that one day there will be another woman in F1. But I do not think that it will be a woman who won her first professional race at age 26, with that win being on an oval. I think that the one (or more) that makes it to F1 will be spoken about more for her racing accomplishments going in, than the Paris Hilton/Britney Spears like media attention that follows her to the door.

Or the short version: That poodle don't hunt!

[JSH]

This thread has drifted way off topic from Danica to a discussion of F1 - which we have another forum for. Back on topic please or I'll have to close the thread.

Close it. The start of the thread was already an extrapolation so far removed from the intent of Danica's original comments that it bears no relevance.