The Official Danica Patrick Fan Site

Before this gets too much press, another Danica/F1 rumor

Danica Patrick could drive for U.S. Formula One team in 2010
1 hour ago

MADRID — An American team will be racing in Formula One from 2010, and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick is a candidate to fill one of its seats.

USF1, which will be officially unveiled Feb. 24, will have a staff of at least 100, a working budget of 50 million euros (C$79.6 million) and an aim to put two American drivers on the starting grid. The team is looking at testing out a number of candidates, especially the 26-year-old Patrick.

"She's great. She gets a lot of press," USF1 technical director Ken Anderson said. "(Indianapolis Motor Speedway president) Tony George would probably be pretty mad with me if I took her out of the IRL but we'll see.

"I don't know if it's something she wants to do. We'd certainly love to test her and go from there."

NASCAR driver Scott Speed, who raced 28 times for F1 team Toro Rosso from 2006-'07, is also a candidate.

Conor Daly - son of former F1 driver Derek Daly - and Josef Newgarden are also being mentioned, with both drivers presently competing in European junior categories.

The team will be based out of Charlotte, N.C., and with much of the technology coming from the United States means that "being the only game in town in the U.S. means there're a lot of companies we can lean on to outsource," according to Anderson.

Officials with motor racing's governing body did not immediately return messages looking for confirmation that USF1's entry had been accepted.

The team is currently looking for a secondary base in Europe, most likely sharing with Epsilon Euskadi's team headquarters in northern Spain.

"We're talking to (F1 engineer) Sergio Rinland about basing it at Espselon. It's a beautiful city, it's certainly top of our list," said Anderson, who worked as a designer and engineer in F1 and IndyCar. "Spain makes a lot of sense with all the winter testing."

Epsilon Euskadi is active in Le Mans and there is a wind tunnel there that meets FIA standards.

Getting back into F1 was a no-brainer for Anderson.

"It's the biggest sport in the world and the biggest TV show in the world," he said. "NASCAR has just become a national sport, never mind an international sport."

With the global economic downturn, more independent teams are possible, especially since FIA president Max Mosley stepped in to reign in the costs with sweeping regulation changes and cost-cutting coming into effect to avoid any other teams from pulling out.

Honda's exit in December is no surprise to Anderson since the Japanese manufacturer's core business interests lay elsewhere.

"Mosley had to step in and stop F1 from killing itself with the manufacturers throwing ungodly money and people and resources at it," he said. "It's got to get back to a real business like Frank Williams owns Williams, Ron Dennis owns McLaren, Eddie Jordan owns Jordan and they all had to show a profit at the end of the year and, therefore, had to make intelligent decisions.

"One little hiccup like this and it's all sort of imploded."

The drop in costs has "levelled the playing field" although Anderson is targeting points to start.

Pete Windsor, a former team manager at Ferrari and Williams, will partner Anderson and run the competition side of the team..

Anderson remains a throwback to the late 80s and early 90s of F1 when he worked at Williams, Ligier and Onyx.

"In '92, the Williams was the coolest car ever with active suspension, (anti-brake system), that was kind of the peak of technology and their budget for that was less than 30 million pounds (C$53.4 million)," Anderson said. "I missed the days when we could do some crazy things."

.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Reggie on February 15, 2009 at 12:19pm

Now, keep in mind, this in no way means Danica is going to F1, they have not even asked her. What the media does constantly is take a "what if" scenario, and make it seem like it is legitimate. I have asked Danica point blank and she has said she has no interest in going to F1 as she wants to race in the US, not Europe. I put the chances of Danica ever going to F1 at any point in her career at about 5%, which is actually higher than the 3% number that she gave me. These rumors will continue, don't take them seriously, unless you hear it on here, it's probably not true. I post the news up as I get it, I have not received one credible source that puts her in F1 in 2010. They are always going to look, but they'd be fools not to, it's ultimatley up to her and where her heart is. Right now, I can guarantee it's with AGR, the IRL and the Indy 500.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Damon on February 15, 2009 at 4:08pm

For a team that isn't even going to run until 2010, just getting this out there creates "a buzz" and if you don't believe me, just flip on ESPN News and check out their little sports ticker at the bottom of the screen.

The only time the "Auto" tag appears is if they update IRL, F1 and NHRA results or Danica is somehow involved. Sure enough, I flip to the channel during the first caution of today's Daytona 500 and what do you know, I see the "Auto" tag and up pops Danica's picture.

Where will she be racing in 2010? Who knows, but I do know 2009 is sure going to be a interesting year with all the rumors that are sure to surround her.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob on February 15, 2009 at 4:22pm

Hi Reggie, I agree with you. I believe Danica's goal is to win the Indy 500.
I believe she has a excellent chance this season to do that.
If she did win Indy this season I think the IRL and AGR will do whatever it takes to keep Danica in an Indy car,
A true fan knows all the drivers. The non IRL fan probally is aware of two names. Helio from "Dancing with the Stars" tv show and Danica. Danica brought many fans to the IRL and in my opinion she is kind of the ambassador of the sport. It is easier for me to see Danica racing Nascar than Formula 1. Go Danica! ....Bob

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bruna on February 16, 2009 at 9:52am

Hey, now the rumors have adapted to reality? Before 2009 and now they were in 2010 lol
I agree with you too Reggie. I never felt that transfer very possible, because (at least in the news in Portuguese) the media here has used old arguments, and to vary not actually say the opinion of Danica. Nobody says what she thinks of fact.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Damon on February 16, 2009 at 11:26am

From today's Curt Cavin Q&A in the Indy Star, 'ol Curt isn't too good about being subtle with his feelings.

Question: Danica in F-1? I don't see it. She doesn't challenge for the lead enough as it is. (I can't remember her doing that since her lone fuel strategy win.) If it does happen, it will be because she can bring in the press and the sponsor dollars, not skill. Sebastian Bourdais finished 17th in points with four, and he dominated the Champ Car drivers. Danica never won in the feeder series. (David, Durham, N.C.)

Answer: I agree with you. If the team needs a hook to land sponsors, then maybe she's the choice. But based on raw talent, there are others to select. If it has to be an American, Ryan Hunter-Reay would be a good selection. There are others, too. But the bigger question is where this proposed team gets its money? They say they'll have 100 employees and a $62 million budget? Where's the sponsorship coming from, particularly in this tight economy?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Damon on February 16, 2009 at 11:29am

By the way, I wished people would actually READ these Danica articles before running off at the mouth about her abilities or her even ending up in F1, which wasn't the tone of the story.

Anderson said he'd like to give her a test and move on from there, but also added that he wasn't sure if F1 was something she wanted to do, that's it.

Really, it's a story much ado about nothing, yet the folks who don't like her pounce on this story as if it's a Porter House stake and say some crazy off-the-wall things in the process.....it's driving me nuts.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Keystone80435 on February 16, 2009 at 11:52am

No way. I don't buy this. The fact most of the IndyCar drivers need steering assist on the road tracks (Danica included) makes me believe Danica will be staying in Indy. I personally don't think she's strong enough to race full time road courses.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Damon on February 16, 2009 at 11:59am

You are aware that she competed in the Champ Car Atlantics series in 2003/2004, right? 22 of the 24 races she competed in during her two seasons in Atlantics were on road/street courses, of which she had 5 podium finishes, all on road/street courses.

She would be fine physically running full-time on road/street courses if she had to.

Keystone80435 said:

No way. I don't buy this. The fact most of the IndyCar drivers need steering assist on the road tracks (Danica included) makes me believe Danica will be staying in Indy. I personally don't think she's strong enough to race full time road courses.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Keystone80435 on February 16, 2009 at 12:33pm

Yes I'm aware of that. those are different machines. Before I get slammed, I am a huge fan so no way am I bashing her abilities.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Erik Nilsen Aamot on February 16, 2009 at 4:25pm

Roumoures is Romoures, but I will like it much more too see Danica in F1, than NASCAR

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by DanicaFans on February 16, 2009 at 10:47pm

Variable-rate steering assist was to be installed on all IndyCars for the 2008 season, but it is now optional. Not all drivers were impressed with it, saying that it did not give them enough feel for the attitude of the car and was not as responsive as they would have liked. According to Robin Miller, Danica was one of the drivers, along with Darren Manning and possibly Ed Carpenter and Sam Hornish, who tested the system in 2007. Danica and others were rumored to have used the system in the 2007 Mid-Ohio race, but it is still officially a rumor since the league did not disclose (and the drivers involved were asked to maintain confidentiality) the full facts surrounding the race test. Danica and several other drivers did test the sytem in practice sessions during the regular season at Mid-Ohio and Infineon. Danica did not use the system at Infineon or Detroit for either qualifying or the race.

Danica has stated that she does not use the system, for the reason stated above. I don't know which drivers currently use the system since they do not have to disclose that information, but I don't think any of the AGR drivers have it installed.

And don't be fooled by her small stature. Many drivers in the IRL have lost bench-press competitions to her. She is much, much stronger than she appears.

Keystone80435 said:

No way. I don't buy this. The fact most of the IndyCar drivers need steering assist on the road tracks (Danica included) makes me believe Danica will be staying in Indy. I personally don't think she's strong enough to race full time road courses.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Reggie on February 16, 2009 at 10:59pm

I believe at the 2008 Mid-Ohio race that Milka may have been the only driver to use the steering assist system. I remember hearing at some point that there was only one car running using the system, and then I remember Milka making a comment about the "assist system" though it sounded more like "assymism" so I could be way off base here and she may have been talking about something else entirely. I guess that would cover her for the confidientiality agreement at least.

DanicaFans said:

Variable-rate steering assist was to be installed on all IndyCars for the 2008 season, but it is now optional. Not all drivers were impressed with it, saying that it did not give them enough feel for the attitude of the car and was not as responsive as they would have liked. According to Robin Miller, Danica was one of the drivers, along with Darren Manning and possibly Ed Carpenter and Sam Hornish, who tested the system. Danica and others were rumored to have used the system in the 2007 Mid-Ohio race, but it is still officially a rumor since the league did not disclose (and the drivers involved were asked to maintain confidentiality) the full facts surrounding the race test. Danica and several other drivers did test the sytem in practice sessions during the regular season at Mid-Ohio and Infineon. Danica did not use the system at Infineon or Detroit for either qualifying or the race.

Danica has stated that she does not use the system, for the reason stated above. I don't know which drivers currently use the system since they do not have to disclose that information, but I don't think any of the AGR drivers have it installed.

Keystone80435 said:
No way. I don't buy this. The fact most of the IndyCar drivers need steering assist on the road tracks (Danica included) makes me believe Danica will be staying in Indy. I personally don't think she's strong enough to race full time road courses.