Danica Patrick not good enough for F1 - Marko
Danica Patrick recently became the first woman to earn a NASCAR Cup pole. At some point Niki Lauda decided that a woman in Formula One would draw more television views.
Feb.20 (GMM) Danica Patrick has leapt back into the motor racing headlines by becoming the first woman to secure pole for the 2013 NASCAR Cup opener at Daytona.
Previously, the highly popular 30-year-old American, who is stealing the show at the pinnacle of US motor sport, has insisted she has little interest in exploring her options in Formula One.
You have to look at Danica's results in the road races. It's not enough.
But could more doors open now?
"For ten years," said triple world champion and Mercedes chairman Niki Lauda, "I've told Bernie Ecclestone he's dopey for not getting a woman into Formula One.
"If we could get a woman into the top six, you would immediately have twice as many fans in front of the TV," he is quoted by Bild newspaper.
Lauda, however, questioned whether Patrick is the right woman for the job.
"It has to be said that the technical level in the US does not compare to the level in Formula One. This is also reflected in the drivers," he said.
"The last American who had success in Europe was Mario Andretti -- and that was in my day!" exclaimed the 63-year-old.
Dr Helmut Marko, the outspoken driver manager at world champions Red Bull, also questioned Patrick's credentials.
Indeed, there are no female drivers among Red Bull's current flock of young development drivers, whose ultimate aim is to earn a place at the junior team Toro Rosso.
"We are looking for drivers based on performance, not by quota," Marko insisted."
World champion Sebastian Vettel added: "First of all, hats off to Danica for her achievements. But motor sport in the US just has a completely different culture."
Share Or Save This Story
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Pirelli chief calls for radical F1 overhaul
The year the legendary Daytona 24 Hours ran to six hours
Mario Andretti headlines first batch of Sebring’s 75 all-time greatest drivers
Exclusive: Mario Andretti blown away by 'unexpected' Cadillac F1 chassis tribute
Why Mercedes didn’t expect “Monza 2.0” from Kimi Antonelli in Baku
Why Mercedes is still quicker than McLaren
Why Max Verstappen says 0.196s Baku finish-line gap to George Russell is slightly misleading
Jorge Martin “made us feel wanted” amid current MotoGP struggles, says Yamaha boss
Alpine makes statement as Franco Colapinto-related abuse accelerates
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's most notable moments at Kansas Speedway
Alpine lost Fuji WEC victory by 0.591s because it “didn’t want to sacrifice a car”
Why Mercedes is still quicker than McLaren
Baku late-race chaos almost costs George Russell victory over Max Verstappen
How George Russell claimed his career-best pole margin in F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying
How the chase to catch Mercedes is unfolding
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments