Danica Patrick Unlikely for USF1 Seat

Since the first reports of USF1 came to light, media darling Danica Patrick has been linked to the team. Reading the headlines, one would think contracts had already been signed for her to drive the car: USF1 Confirms Interest in Danica Patrick, and Formula One Seat Beckons for Patrick. To quote Peter Windsor, "We are looking at all American drivers with the right credentials and that includes Danica." Adding fuel to the fire, Ken Anderson says, "She's great and gets a lot of press. Indy Racing League chairman Tony George would be pretty mad with me if I took her out of the IRL but we'll see."

Chop up an interview and you can almost write the story yourself. USF1 have actually given very little detail about who will drive the car, other than the fact that they're looking at all the American drivers. While Danica's market value is second to none (as seen in the latest SI Swimsuit issue), the general consensus this writer sees is that it ends there.

Indeed, now that more interviews have been given to the media, we see that both parties are lukewarm on the idea. Danica says she's concerned that if a drive in F1 doesn't go ideally the first season then you "just open yourself up to criticism." And rightly so - anybody remember Michael Andretti in 1993? However, she seems to be more worried about a test conflicting with her IndyCar schedule or making her tired. This brings doubts about her ability to even commit to the sport of F1. Perhaps Peter Windsor himself best sums it up: "She has a very good record and obviously would be a good factor in terms of promotion. She raced Formula Ford in the UK very well, she knows all about racing in Europe and did a good job in everything she’s done. But one has to ask why, if she is that good for promotion, haven’t any of the other Formula One teams signed her up?"

We'd all love to see her test for the team. But if it doesn't work out then there's no shame having a decent career in IndyCar.