Marco Andretti to get F1 test drive with HONDA

I think his 1st wife had a lot more to do with it than was in the US press. They divorced shortly after. I think it was her who complained about the cheaseburger in Paris. To say she didn't fit in was an understatement. They called her Daisy Mae.

 

I remember seeing shots of Michael's ex in the pits during the CART races. She was scary looking.

 

I agree. Maybe Scott Speed could become a mid-pack driver in the future with a better team, but I don't see anything better than that in his future. All the Americans that were excited about having a fellow American driver in F1 this year were strongly disappointed. I didn't expect him to be amazing or anything, but I was very underwhelmed by his performance for Toro Rosso in '06. That is a big reason I would like to see Marco make it into F1.

 

Check both of these links out ,

http://atlasf1.autosport.com/2000/ita/okeefe.html

http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00144.html

this explains what went wrong with Micheal's year, it was just bad timing and wrong team to sign up too at that time. Not enough seat time because of a silly new rule put into effect after he signed, F1 vs Cart thing back then. The one good thing about this is he now can push his son in the right direction and yes the Andretti name on the side of a Red F1 Ferrari again would be Great!!!

Jim

 

Micheal's first wife was his childhood sweatheart and I'm sure she saw $$$ from day one. Her STUPID hats in the pits at Indy were classic. She was Bling before Bling was Bling.

 

Hats and the pretty, frilly ankle socks.

 

We ran a Formula 2000 Van Diemen, car was sold and were taking a little R&R until we see what we get next. My best friend & I have been involved racing formula cars since 1972 we need a break. I picked up a 308 this year to keep me busy.

Jim

 

Don't forget Mike had that anoying wife that insisted he spend time at home and was the catalyst for all the bad choices he made at that time... He drove a ****ty car that Senna couldn't even get good results out of and still got a podium, Just think if he went there single and without that nagging bith in his ear every five minutes about what "she wanted and needed" we would have had another fine F1 driver...

Morral of the story Mike minus that wench = world champion USA

 

Man, if thats all that it takes I could have been #1 too....

 

I would really like him to make it if F1, thanks for posting the news link.

 

Michael's problem was not his talent, but his commitment to F1.

 

PURE NAME.

Do you know any other people that finished second at Indy, but never won a race, let alone a championship, that get a test run in a good F1 car, let alone ANY F1 car ?
Hell, beyond that, can you name anyone that finished second at the Indy 500 in the last 10 years ? I can't...

 

Hello Scott Speed. He is racing in "ANY" F1 car.

 

THE COMMITMENT WAS THERE HE COULDN'T TEST, BECAUSE OF THE TESTING BAN AND THE CAR WAS FINISHED LATE, ALREADY TWO STRIKES AGAINST HIM. NO SENSE HANGING AROUND WHEN YOU CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR. SEAT TIME IS EVERYTHING, PLUS WE ALL KNOW RON DENNIS IS A PAIN IN THE ASS.

JIM

 

Ummm, Scott Speed actually has a legit race history, unlike Marco Andretti.

He is the first American winner of a European open wheel feeder series ever. He finished 3rd in GP2, the premier feeder to F1. The other two drivers ahead of him are also in F1. He actually had a decent time racing last year. He didn't get blown out by his teammate - a teammate who won F3000.

I'm all for more talented Americans in F1, but to think that this test happened because of anything other than his name is ridiculous. A winless Indy driver does not get an F1 test, ever.

 

...could be good, I'd let him ride out his current contract though, for some additional seat time.....he's young.

 

With the IRL's 2007 schedule Marco will get more/needed road course experience.

 

I am not aware of a testing ban at the time Michael Andretti ran F1.
His lack of testing was due to 2 reasons:
-Ron Dennis had signed Michael and Hakkinen as drivers for that season; Ayrton Senna hadn't made up his mind and was trying to get a better deal from McLaren or move to another team (which he did eventually, going to Williams later on). As the doors closed on him, Senna signed a contract early in the year, at the last minute.
-McLaren had now 3 drivers on its books. They decided to give most of the testing time to Hakkinen instead of Andretti because:
a) he had F1 experience already (Lotus),
b) as a compensation for not participating in races during the season, his contract stipulated that he would be RACING. Senna was notorious for evading inter-season testing.
-Senna and Andretti were lined up for the GP season. Senna adapted quickly to the new car, where Andretti didn't.

I don't think it was Michael's fault at all. I rather think that he was the victim of some internal politics at McLaren, and I read that his father gave that reason too.
The situation deteriorated within the team to the point that Andretti negociated his release 3 GPs from the end of the season.

 

I believe there was a ban on testing at F1 tracks that year. Therefore every track M went to was new to him. Not a good way to start out.

 

Kimi and Jenson had very few races in anything other than carts before they went to F1. Both proved to be major finds.

If you watch Marco's performance on the road races this year it's obvious he has just as much talent, if not more, than anyone else in that series. If Cheever hadn't pulled that absolutely bone head move and knocked him out of that first road race of the year (was it Watkins Glen?) he most likely would have won that too. He was flying that day.

 

Senna won five times that season with that car...

 

If I recall correctly, the testing ban being discussed is actually a restriction on the number of practice laps the teams could run on race weekends. Andretti had to learn a number of tracks with restricted laps, I think it was 12.

Andretti could have done much to help himself out that season. he struck me as seeling to be a bit lost that season. He was clearly unprepared for the level of aggression on opening laps and he did suffer from a lack of testing with the team. Commuting from the States was not a wise idea nor was allowing his wife to be such a distraction with the team.

I think Andretti was a much better driver than his results would indicate, however he made a number of poor choices that season. I am sure Marco would benefit from the lessons learned by Michael. I would love to see Marco and Graham Rahal both in F1 in the coming years.

 

Yep, your right Senna did Win races that year 3 or 4 were in the rain. Senna was nearly unbeatable in the rain. He also too complained the car was not good all year. Plus the fact Senna already raced and tested these tracks for a long time while Micheal didn't, can't measure Micheal up against that. Micheal's times were very competitive at most places and Senna felt Micheal was improving well each time in the car. If Mclaren had the Renault engine like they thought they were going to get instead of the customer Ford and Micheal could test properly I think you would have seen a little different result and I'm sure he would have gone on another year. One thing Micheal didn't lack is speed and Balls. I have the entire year races on video so I know what happen.

Jim