Danica Patrick: US needs American F1 driver, wants Herta on grid
Former IndyCar and NASCAR racer Danica Patrick says Formula 1 needs an American driver to boost its US reputation, and wants to see IndyCar star Colton Herta make the move.

Patrick, who is joining the coverage of this weekend's US Grand Prix at Austin with Sky Sports F1/ESPN, says the sport has grown a lot of the past few years thanks to the success of Netflix's Drive to Survive series.
"I definitely think that the Netflix series Drive to Survive has been a big deal," Patrick told Motorsport.com.
"I've had so many people over the years come to me and say: 'Hey, have you seen that? Did you see that? Wow, I'm super interested in Formula 1 now.'
"I think that it humanises, that it gives it storylines, it's a way to really try and understand what's going on in the sport."
The Netflix show forms part of a wide-ranging effort by F1's American owners Liberty Media to boost the sport in North America.
In 2022 F1 will add a second US race, the Miami Grand Prix, in addition to Austin's US GP, with exploratory talks about a potential third American date still ongoing.
Asked what F1 needs to make the next step in popularity, Patrick believes the championship needs a competitive American driver to give US fans more reasons to follow the sport.
"If there was an American driver that they could cheer for, then I think that what you'd see is more coverage here," she explained.
"Whether it be you know, late night TV magazines, morning news, just sports coverage in general; there'd be a reason to cover it, and I think that would definitely help."
Read Also:

Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
The current IndyCar driver who is most often mentioned in the same breath as F1 is Colton Herta.
In 2019 the Californian became the youngest-ever IndyCar race winner at the age of 18 and he has since grown into one of the championship's main contenders with Andretti Autosport.
Multiple sources have indicated that Michael Andretti's powerhouse team is closing in on a deal to take a majority stake in the Alfa Romeo F1 team, becoming the second US-owned team on the grid along with Haas.
An Andretti expansion to F1 would provide 21-year-old Herta with an obvious pathway back to Europe, where he spent the 2016 season racing in various Formula 3 championships with Carlin.
Patrick backs a potential F1 switch for Herta, saying it would be a "great opportunity" for the six-time IndyCar race winner.
"Definitely, if it's something that you want to do and you feel like you have an opportunity to do well, I mean, he's not going to become a worse driver when he's gone," she added.
"If it doesn't work out for him, usually Formula 1 drivers have quite a bit of credibility to try and come over and drive an IndyCar.
"So, I think it's a totally great opportunity, and especially if it's something that he's really excited about, I think that's really cool.
"And to have it be all American, I think that'd be great. I'd love to see how that goes."
Watch Danica Patrick at the US GP in Austin exclusively live in the UK on Sky Sports F1 on Sunday 24 October.
Related video

Newey on top of Red Bull F1 set-up woes after bike crash recovery
Ferrari: P3 in championship clear target after gains on McLaren

Latest news
“Proper send-off” for MacNeil after Rolex 24 win in GTD Pro
Jules Gounon says that winning at Daytona was an appropriate way for co-driver Cooper MacNeil to retire from racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
HPD boss "amazed" by GTP reliability in Rolex 24 at Daytona
The boss of Honda Performance Developments has expressed his amazement at the high levels of reliability demonstrated by the all-new GTP prototypes in last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored the pattern of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's previous DPi era. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing.
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Rolex 24 showdown
Wayne Taylor Racing's Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order to beat the sister Acura of Meyer Shank Racing in the closing stages of last weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
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.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.