FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[What's Burning?]

Unfortunately there aren't many drivers from the US that can cut it in F1; which is great shame, the transition from [mostly] oval racing seems to be a difficult one.

I disagree, why are you perpetuating the myth?

I agree, it's not the drivers that are the issue, there's certainly a talent pool (may not be F1 caliber to start with) and there are road course series, like American Le Mans, and Grand Am and Indy that a serious F1 team would be able to pull talent from.

In my opinion the issue is promotional visibility and the fact that NASCAR (sadly) dwarfs every other form of motor sports so the investor pool is greatly diminished. I think now that USF1 failed miserably, the road to a US based F1 team will have to begin with a serious long term F1 race venue in the states.

I draw a lot of commercial similarities between F1 and Pro Tour cycling; Both heavily European based sports. 15 years ago you could argue that there were no talented tour cycling teams in the US. That's changed big time now, and there's no reason the same thing can't happen for an F1 team, its just not something that will happen overnight to suit the expectation of your typical sponsor.

[myownalias]

Unfortunately there aren't many drivers from the US that can cut it in F1; which is great shame, the transition from [mostly] oval racing seems to be a difficult one.

I disagree, why are you perpetuating the myth?

Name a driver that has made any sort of impact for the right reasons in F1 in recent history?

The last American to score a podium finish was Michael Andretti back some 17 years ago, you have to look back 32 years to find the last American world champion, Mario Andretti and before that Phil Hill in 1961; that's hardly perpetuating the myth is it? No American driver of note for 17 years!!!

[texasmr2]

The jist is your saying that there are no current american drivers who could make it in F1 today so forget your history lesson.

[What's Burning?]

I don't think that's a driver problem as much as it is a business model problem.

[myownalias]

By the way; I didn't say there weren't any F1 calibre drivers; I said "there weren't many", and of those that do have the talent; how many want to make the move to F1? There has been quite a few American test drivers that never made the transition into a race seat; the team principles obviously don't see these drivers as good enough for F1! Maybe if US drivers went through the European F3, F2 championships first then maybe there would be a US F1 grade driver; but as things stand; the stats speak for them self!

[IceManpjn]

Peter Windsor should have stayed in broadcasting.. He had a steady job and could go around the world and hang out in the paddock. Now he is out on the street. Wonder what he's doing now....

Yeah, I was familiar with him being down in the paddock and his voice coming back to us but now there's Will Buxton and... I haven't quite accepted him yet. The preference could possibly be something silly, like the sounds of their voices, but it seems to still make a difference.

[trailertrash]

I surely hope y'all dont mind my ritin hear but I got a kweschin. Hus Lola Prodrive? Is she hawt?
I kood hav drove for the teem. I had my truck up to 70 one time before the oil pan fell off.

[What's Burning?]

I surely hope y'all dont mind my ritin hear but I got a kweschin. Hus Lola Prodrive? Is she hawt?
I kood hav drove for the teem. I had my truck up to 70 one time before the oil pan fell off.

She's too hot for you, she's got all of her teeth still.

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Bernie was only commenting about the elephant in the room. USF1 was little more than a Ponzi scheme from the start. Neither of the nitwits at the helm had any experience or material basis for thinking they could run such an organisation, much less create it, especially with the handicaps they had imposed on themselves (an in-house chassis, for instance). The press were only commenting about the obvious. They should STFU and take the drubbing they've got coming like men.

The Americans lack a suitable open wheel road course feeder series (karting don't count). If you want the experience applicable to F1, you have no choice but to move to Europe. That's exactly what Phil Hill did. Mario was born European so he found it no hardship to live and race on both continents. Son Michael found that the (mostly roundy-round) skill sets he'd brought from home just didn't cut it.

ALMS are doing quite well but apart from that, I think the staggering popularity of roundy-round sucks the life out of roadracing in America.

[texasmr2]

Yah the 'round and round' does not improve the opinion of most concerning the available talent.

[What's Burning?]

It's been revealed that the new F1 track in Austin is going to be a roundy-round circuit so THERE!

[texasmr2]

It's been revealed that the new F1 track in Austin is going to be a roundy-round circuit so THERE!

Don't be an idiot ok there are enough of them on this forum already .

[myownalias]

Don't all tracks go round and round? just that F1 tracks add some right turns into the mix... not a very good lap if you don't go round and round... F1 drag racing?

[billindenver]

I don't think I buy the theory about a lack of talent in the USA. Juan Pablo was a front running F1 driver and brought that massive skillset to bear in nascar...and was mid pack, nothing special. I think Juan Pablo accomplished two things in his downgrade to nascar. He proved that Formula one, while being the (sort of) pinnacle of motor car development....the drivers aren't the supermen they are made out to be. Otherwise Juan should have dominated nascar and he certainly has not. The second thing he proved was that McDonalds cheeseburgers can be eaten while driving a race car....you simply lay the burger on top of your man-boobs while cornering and pick it back up on the straights.

In today's Formula one, a driver must bring a fairly massive sponsorship package with him in order to gain a seat....and American sponsors for a series that has shown very little desire for a north american stop are few and far between.

[racechick]

I don't think I buy the theory about a lack of talent in the USA. Juan Pablo was a front running F1 driver and brought that massive skillset to bear in nascar...and was mid pack, nothing special. I think Juan Pablo accomplished two things in his downgrade to nascar. He proved that Formula one, while being the (sort of) pinnacle of motor car development....the drivers aren't the supermen they are made out to be. Otherwise Juan should have dominated nascar and he certainly has not. The second thing he proved was that McDonalds cheeseburgers can be eaten while driving a race car....you simply lay the burger on top of your man-boobs while cornering and pick it back up on the straights.

In today's Formula one, a driver must bring a fairly massive sponsorship package with him in order to gain a seat....and American sponsors for a series that has shown very little desire for a north american stop are few and far between.

Juan isnt north American. he's columbian.