So I guess the circus could still come to town

'Patrick to F1 is a possibility'

I'm disappointed that Haas would even consider bringing Danica to the team in any capacity. I doubt it'll happen, but just stirring the pot like this makes me cringe. A solid women driver like DiSelvestro or Wolff would do a lot from the publicity side but would allow them to keep their credibility. I get the desire for an American driver... but Danica shouldn't be it.

Speaking of Susie, do you think her marriage to Toto impacts her ability to get a seat in any way. I wonder if there's concern that if she was given a seat, inevitably things would be shared with her husband. Not malicious in any way necessarily, but just naturally due to the relationship.

 

Useless choice. If that is a choice please dont enter F1 Mr Haas.

 

She'd make Maldonado look good.

Top teir equipment and engines, top tier championship co-driver in Kevin Harvick for important track and setup info that Harvick shares, still hasn't won a race.

 

One important point that the article makes is that nobody is deceived, Patrick is a publicity and sponsorship dollar magnet, not a threat to win races or even score points. Nobody is saying she is a good drive, but she can bring millions of dollars with her and still drive better than other "pay-drivers" like Stevens and Mehri who would bring a fraction of the money she can bring.

That said...I wish that pay drivers would just go away.

 

That's the way I read it, Mr. Haas said something like "...if a driver brings money..." or "...nothing is set at all...".

Just keeping Haas F1 in the news, nothing wrong with that.

 

I think there's a fine line with pay drivers. In some regard, the ability to bring sponsors makes everyone a pay driver, but I get it's frowned upon for the clear cases.

Haas has already emphatically stated that he's entering to win races. He's not going to do that with Danica and her constant posturing and faux tough guy act. Hire the gal who just joined Lotus. She's stupid attractive, can drive and could have a career ahead of her. She'll do fine for marketing.

 

Don't forget that some very good drivers, and even some world champions started as "Pay driver".

After all, pay drivers have to be good enough to attract the attention of backers who want to sponsor them in the first place.

There has been instances of very bad pay drivers, but also a few very good cases.

Would you say that Nikki Lauda was a bad driver?

 

Yeah, marketing seems to be her role.
That girl doesn't seem to have won anything in lower categories yet.

 

She will just be the female Maldonado.

 

Maldonado always seems to get a bad rap on this forum.

People shouldn't forget that he won one GP, which is more than many other drivers on the grid, and more than his team mate who had his fair number of shunts as well...

Just saying ...

 

Indeed.

He's certainly had more than his fair share of shunts, but not all have been totally his fault. And many others started out with reputations as crashers. Some deservedly, others not so much.

I'm also pretty sure that if we go back to the archives here, around the time of his win, we'll find *plenty* of folk howling that the Scuderia should pick him up real quick!.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

They used to say that about Kobayashi too ...



Well, he later raced for Ferrari ... in GT !

 

+1 and Checo etc etc !!

 

Yep!

And pretty much every other rookie that has a decent drive or two when they first start; the Hulk springs to mind. Now it seems to be young Max eek and even Danny Fiat among a long list of guys that may or may not be any good......

Cheers,
Ian

 

I thought Pastor has driven pretty good this year.

With Danica, it's never about the driving. She's always complaining about something or stirring something up. She poses half naked then complains people sexualize her. She can't seem to ever be in front then complains when she gets caught up in the wreck. Doesn't want anyone to drive near her... Doesn't want to be challenged in any way, yet feels the need to put on a show by confronting and grabbing other drivers after the race. What if someone went up to her and grabbed her aggressively after one of the many crashes she caused?

There's no place in F1 for that kind of melodrama.

 

F1 has plenty of its own kind of melodrama, eh?

 

I don't know enough about North America motor racing to have an informed opinion about drivers, etc...

All I hear is that Danica Patrick has a lot of detractors back in the States.

Anyway, did I missread something or the girl is able to qualify well, with front rows, and the occasional pole?

Her problem seems to be her lack of racecraft in a pack, rather than her outright speed, no?

 

Her problems are many. She quals okay but almost invariable will find herself in the bottom third of the group. In NASCAR where "rubbin is racin" and bump drafting is common.. she somehow feels that no one should ever touch her or even drive near her. She'll go after a driver after the race if she gets knocked out... as if he cost her a victory or something instead of 21st place where she would have ended up, but rarely accepts responsibility herself.

Her Indycar win came (and I'm pretty sure about this if I remember right) from a few of the top contenders bein knocked out early on... sorda like if Nico or someone else took out himself, Vettle, Hamilton, Kimi, Massa and Bottas on turn one and Nasr took it to the flag. A win is a win, but you have to recognize the asterisk.

She's a polarizing figure. Not because she's a woman, but because she uses being one when it benefits her yet complains about be treated different at other times. You can't have it both ways.

 

Thanks for that.
She was apparently schooled here in UK, and under the supervision of Jackie Stewart, no less ...

 

She should join McLaren. No one would question her running 17th.

Don't be followed guys. Haas is on a fishing expedition for Go Daddy bucks.

 

At least we would have something to look at ...

 

Yeah...
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LOL


But is that worse than a sulking Alonso ?

 

Guys... she's past her prime. Carmen Jorda or Susie Wolff are much better visually and driver...ly?

 

What is distressing is the reason Gene Hass gives to bring Patrick to F1:

"Danica Patrick is highly marketable"

As if that has any relevance for an individual to be in F1.
No mention of her hability as a driver, or her qualities, just the fact that she can be traded for sponsorship money.

I don't even know if she would qualify for a super license, although I am sometime wondering how some guys on the grid obtained their.