Gene Haas plans to take as much from Ferrari as Formula One rules will allow | Autoweek Danica? Kurt? Rossi? Would love to Kurt bump draft in F1 :}
This Danica talk has to stop. If you really want to go the female route, I'd take Susie Wolff over Danica in an instant. She's a year or so younger and has actual talent. Danica would bankrupt Hass in one season crashing all the cars. I just don't see the hype on Danica beyond the marketing. I don't believe anyone really takes her seriously or actually considers her a high caliber driver. I mean, she's a sh*t-ton better than me, but I'm an analyst, not a race car driver. I like Rossi/Chilton, Veteran/Wolff, or some combination of that.
The smart move would be for Gene Hass to poach Jules Bianchi from Marussia. He has been part of the Ferrari Academy (I believe), he has experience of Ferrari engines, has tested for Ferrari, etc... Bianchi seems to have shown some talent, even in an uncompetitive car, and shown promises. I know he is French, and that may work against him on the sponsorship side of things.
Good for Haas, bad for Bianchi. Why go from one back marker to the other? Especially from one with multiple years of F1 experience to one with none.
I meant to say Bianchi, not Chilton and agree with Bas. I was really hoping Haas was going to go "independent" and really try to create a team that can compete. What's the point of entering F1 with the intention of being a junior team of team that can't even reach the podium these days (save once or twice). What is the point? Why spend a couple or so hundred million a year knowing you cannot likely even get points? I really think he should have gone with Honda and developed his own car. He has the money and the backing. This junior team crap is just off-putting to me. Things could really change in F1 with a real team.
He should by the Enstone outfit and go with Honda. Only chance he really has be a contender for points as early as 2017.
Totally disagree with you about Danica, except for your comment about Susie Wolf, but I doubt Williams would let her go. You are correct, you are an analyst, not a race driver. Try driving a NASCAR car, she does pretty good. I take her seriously. Not a Gordan, Johnson, Earnhardt, but just as good as the next round.
You think she's an optimal choice? There's nobody better? She's got a great team and a great car, but she is mediocre at the very best. Of course I cannot drive a NASCAR even remotely as good as she does, then again, I doubt very much she could my job. That whole kind of comparison is kind of silly. I think she's a distraction. She takes sexy photo shoots then complains she's being sexualized. If she wasn't pretty, she wouldn't have any of the attention or opportunity she's received because she simply is not a top or second tier driver. I'm just saying, if you want a female driver, Wolff or DiSilvestro (sp) are far better choices... Leaps and bounds. I just don't think they need to play the gender game for marketing dollars. If they determine that one of the quality existing female drivers are the right choice, then do it. Just don't pull that trigger for publicity sake only which I find insulting to real talent.
I absolutely agree with you on this. Being a junior team just doesn't make sense to a group that wants to compete. How often do you see Toro Rosso beat Red Bull? Maybe not the best comparison but close enough. Why go through all that with knowledge that you simply can't win. Maybe in the end there's no other way to get started, I don't know, but I'm disappointed in the route they're taking.
