Go Danica!!!

Katherine Legge is her name and yes she is impressive. I believe she won at long beach

 

Did anybody read Ed Hinton today? He's syndicated, so he's in most every Tribune paper. Interesting article about where Danica may try and go next, suggesting she may go for the money of Nascar or F1. He also took a shot at the safety of the IRL cars, noting how many serious injuries, particularily spinal, have happened over the years. Just some interesting thoughts from a guy who knows auto racing as well or better than anyone else in the room.

 

All of this ridiculous second guessing, Monday morning quarterbacking. Assume her car was the same as her teammates, she out qualified one, the other was faster, but he had more experience as he already won this race once. I don't care who was in her car, they would not have done any better than Danica. She outraced the regulars, she acknowledge her mistakes which most males won't do, and she finished 4th. What would she have done if she had not made two time costly mistakes? Think about that!! Have any of you ever watched the videos of Danica in a go kart running over Sam Hornish? I can see why even AJ likes her.

Danica in NASCAR? Unlikely. She's already dealt with the politics of racing in Europe alone at 16, most males fail at that at 21. She has real talent. She has real desire. She will get an F1 test and do damn well.

What is the problem with some of the guys on this site? Give the kid a break.

 

I've never doubted her talent or put in into question, she is good. What i'm starting to dislike is the fact that all the focus is on her and how great her accomplishments are when in all actuality if she were male they would not be even mentioned. This is of course not her fault it is the fault of the press. The way Dan Wheldon has been practially ignored is what is bothering me. Another point. Would she even be remotely considered for an F1 test if she were not female? That's what i'm talking about. Like i said before she is good, but she will get several opportunities that a male perhaps would not get, only because of her gender, which is unfair.

 

I didn't read it but there have been safety problems with the IRL from day one. The newer cars are safer but i recall many back injuries when they first started. Unless she were to sign for a big team, Danica wouldn't make that much money in F1 unless she were to get a special deal which could happen just to get her there. The same interest she is generating in the IRL would follow her anywhere she went which is why any series would bend over backward to have her. I know i sound like a Danica hater but i'm not, i actually like her but she hasn't proven anything yet in my book.

 

You are absolutely right. This is no different than how things generally work in the real world. Sometimes it works in your favor, sometimes it doesn't - I think most of us can recite many experiences from both sides of the fence. Case in point is the much of the content of this thread - lots of judgement and unsubstantiated speculation about her performance, her personal choices and achievements based upon her gender alone. If she were a male rookie placing 4th, would there even be a thread?

 

At this early point in Danica's career, she would likely not even be considered for a test in F1, if she were not a woman. F1 is about money, sponsors bring the money, and to have the novelty of a female, that can drive as well as most men, means money to a team. If she wins, sponsorship contracts get extended. She would only be given a test if one of the team owners believed she could win.

But this does not take away from the fact that she showed she has what it takes to be a professional successful race car driver. The sport needs her, IRL really needs her.

Her size would work against her in NASCAR, her size and agression would work for her in F1.

Question: Any guess who would be the first team owner to give her a test shot in F1? I would guess Red Bull or Williams.

 

The only teams that really car about the money in F1 are teams such as Jordan and Minardi. I highly doubt she will get a test with Redbull or Williams. Redbull has their own program as to bring the first american F1 driver. Their requirements are different. In addition Bobby Rahal has burnt his bridges in F1, which means it will be very difficult for Danica to test. Williams care about winning as do the other teams. They do not care about the money. Its all about the glory of winning the championship. You are correct, the IRL does need Danica. Right now IRL will do anything to improve their viewership and Danica is the answer.

 

F1 test? For what? F1 owners don't need the marketing that IRL does - except maybe for Jordan or another backmarker. She still hasn't won in a now-mostly-oval series. How in the world does that qualify her for a test with Williams? Montoya was a clear head-and-shoulders above anyone else in CART or IRL at the time - how many World Championships does he have? How many drivers have made the leap from IRL to F1? Answer - NONE. Even Sebastian Bourdais, who is clearly the best driver in Champ Car, can't get a test. Danica has not won a race since karts.

http://www.slate.com/id/2120160/

 

You took words right out of my mouth. Your right, if someone like Sebastian Bourdais can't get an F1 test, than how the hell can Danica? The top teams don't care about the money, plus F1 is not hurting. You are also correct that she has not won anything since karting, which means nothing. There are so many karting series out there. Unless she won something like the stars of tomorrow or Skusa, her accomplishments in karting don't mean a thing.

 

Regarding interest in Danica by the world of F1, two rather significant players have maintained regular contact with her and are said to be in current negotiations. The first is Willi Weber, who probably won't have a driver in F1 after '06, and the other is Flavio. So, read into that what you wish. Something to consider is that, with the ever-increasing restriction on tobacco money the sponsors in F1 are always looking to get more creative than just slapping their stickers on the cars. Attention is everything, witnessed by Red Bull this year and Jaguar last year. Danica Patrick has opened up a window of interest among many people that extends outside the racing world, and while Scott Speed should soon be racing in F1, they'll be lucky if it registers a blip on the American radar. Now, the same reasons that Danica got so much attention at Indy are exactly why she poses real possibilities to some F1 owners and managers. Don't forget that Jackie Stewart was very interested as well a few years back.

 

Well Ol' Flav has a history of this, remember Giovanna Amati? The rumor was she got her ride due to other talents.....

 

Danica will likely test for F-1 someday, and it won't be a backmarker. You have to be naive to believe that winning AND sponsorship is not important to the likes of Williams, or the publicity is not important to the owner of Red Bull. That is F-1.

So why is Willy Weber interested in managing Danica? Oh, right, to keep her in IRL or maybe get her a ride in a DEI car in NASCAR? Yes the same Mr. Weber that manages Michael Schumacher. Remember Schumacher, he drives a F-1 car, I think it is a Ferrari?

What is really interesting, this thread would not have existed if the driver that finished 4th at Indy, and led some laps was a male.


Elohssa's.

 

Well stated Gilles27.

 

Where did you here Willi Webber is interested in managing her? As for Williams, yes sponsorship is important, but they are not going to put Danica in the Williams car for publilcity. As for Redbull, they are not interested in bringing the first female F1 driver. Their goal is different, they have whole program designed for getting American drivers into F1 and the line for that is very long. Redbull has 10 other drivers in the U.S. they have their eye on and I know for a fact Danica is not one of them.

 

By the way who won the Indy 500? I doesn't seem that we are not discussing who won the Indy 500. Instead we are discussing a person who finished 4th.

 

Think it was Danica Wheldon.

 

Ed Hinton's article discussed this. But I had also read it earlier, perhaps in Autoweek? I can't remember now, but I didn't make it up

 

Willi and Flav's interest in Danica: Article by Ed Hinton, and reports by Autosport. With the "possible" exception of Ferrari and Toyota, and with a stretch Renault and McLaren, every other team in F-1 has a real interest in sponsorship money. Its not just Minardi and Jordan. Williams may lose BMW, Williams needs the money to replace them. Williams needs the money to compete with Ferrari adn McLaren. BAR needs the money to compete, its not all coming from Honda. Do you think Renault is Flav's only source of money for testing and winning?

Face it, even Ferrari takes a lot of money from Marlboro and Shell. They don't put their names on the car for free. So to say that sponsorship is only of interest to Minardi and Jordan is not to understand F-1.

I would suggest that every team in F-1 is concerned about sponsorship money. So Danica would help virtually every team on the grid. If SHE wants, she will get a test in F-1 in the next 24 months.

 

Plus, with the number of tests the teams do, why NOT give her one. Perfect PR opp, like you said.

 

She hasn't won a race yet, so I don't think she should. As of now, I would say put Legg before Patrick when it comes to testing for F1, she has actually won a race.

 

Agree, plus Catherine has race in Europe majority of her life.

 

I feel that she will wad the car by mid race.