:yikes: say it ain't so Gene!
ESPNF1 Gene Haas has named NASCAR's Danica Patrick as a "dream driver" for his new Formula One team.
Haas Formula is set to hit the track in 2016 once its US-based headquarters is up and running, but is yet to start negotiating with drivers. Haas has previously said he will seek one experienced F1 driver and one American driver, with Patrick fitting the mould for the latter as well as ticking several other boxes.
"Danica Patrick in one of our cars would be the dream driver…" Haas was quoted by Crash.net. "The question was about the dream driver! But she surely fits the bill. She is a woman in a man's sport - that would attract a lot of attention. She weighs about 50 kilos - which these day sounds fantastic - so indeed she's got a lot of attributes that would be good to have."
However, having a female is not at the top of Haas' priorities for his driver line-up.
"Realistically the first driver is going to be a current F1 driver who knows the ins and outs of the sport, to help us sort out what we have to do and who can give a lot of feedback. In that mould would be driver number one. Driver number two would be American."
I think it's just talk, I don't buy it. He is probably just playing up danica because people keep asking him about her, and as a fellow nascar competitor he doesn't want to be making disparaging comments about her which would give the media a field day. He should keep doing what he's doing, i.e. compliment her when he's asked about her and then keep looking elsewhere, which he very very very very very likely is
He said he wants his first driver to be an experienced current F1 driver. The only two possibilities that come to my mind are massa (if he gets fed up at williams for one reason or another at some point, but he obviously seems pretty happy with them so I don't see him leaving any time soon) or button when mclaren give him the boot