Villeneuve open to F1 return

[cosworth151]

That's why I was hoping that Marco Andretti would win Indy, so that he could move on to F1.

The day Danica Patrick starts an F1 race as a driver will be the last day I watch a Formula One race.

F1 survived Yuji Ide, Irv the Swerve and even that guy from ABBA, it'll survive The Diva.

[Jericoke]

Personally I think USGP should get the best driver available
regardless of nationality.How longs it been since Ferrari has
had a Italian driver[test drivers excluded]

From a marketing point of view, Ferrari gains nothing by having an Italian driver.  I'm pretty sure it's policy not to have Italian drivers now.

The USA loves star athletes, an American f1 team will not generate interest in the USA without a star driver.  They don't have to be GOOD, just a star.  Of course, any American who won an F1 race would become a star, but they're not going to win right away anyway.

[Dare]

I thought I read once that after Bandini and
son-in-law Scarifiotti were killed in crashes
Enzo said he wouldn't have any more Italian
drivers on his team.

@ Cos about Marco.Marco hasn't really impressed
me much mor than Gancia.I could be wrong but
I just don't think he'll make it in F1

[Alianora La Canta]

Dare, you're right, Enzo did say that. While Ferrari has had the occasional Italian driver since Enzo died, the most notable of these was Luca Badoer (is he still there?) - as the test driver...

The thing is Ferrari are the only team that has a bigger reputation than any driver they could choose to hire. The new teams won't have much reputation and would therefore take a certain marketing cachet from a driver of their own nationality. However, if USF1 does it, caution will be necessary. Otherwise there's a risk that a young American driver could be brought into F1 premature and ruin both that driver's career and the important formative years of the team.

[Jericoke]

Dare, you're right, Enzo did say that. While Ferrari has had the occasional Italian driver since Enzo died, the most notable of these was Luca Badoer (is he still there?) - as the test driver...

The thing is Ferrari are the only team that has a bigger reputation than any driver they could choose to hire. The new teams won't have much reputation and would therefore take a certain marketing cachet from a driver of their own nationality. However, if USF1 does it, caution will be necessary. Otherwise there's a risk that a young American driver could be brought into F1 premature and ruin both that driver's career and the important formative years of the team.

Prost did show the danger of running a 'national' team:  you need to have a national driver who is ready at the right time.

The USA is large enough, and has enough 'feeder' type series that they really could develop an F1 pipeline.  It'll take time though.  In the near term, USGP could use stars from Indy who aren't necessarily American.  Castro-Nevez is a huge TV star in the US, and not just among racing fans.

[Steven Roy]

I think JV would be perfect for USF1.  He may be from the wrong side of the border but he know what it takes to succeed in F1.  He knows better than most how it can all go wrong.  He knows how to get a car to his liking and there is no-one in the USA who is remotely near as qualified.

[Scott]

I think JV would be perfect for USF1.  He may be from the wrong side of the border but he know what it takes to succeed in F1.

Sure, join the strongest team in F1 at the time...however I don't think USF1 is that team.

He knows better than most how it can all go wrong.  He knows how to get a car to his liking and there is no-one in the USA who is remotely near as qualified.

...as long as it doesn't involve testing, something he won't do unless he really, really has to.

[Steven Roy]

I don't remeber him objecting to testing just to all the sponsor stuff.  Besides there is no in season testing any more.

[Scott]

I'm not sure about Williams, but at BAR he was almost never on the testing roster.

[lkjohnson1950]

I have always felt that much of his success at Williams was because Damon left him a well sorted car to start with. BAR never had the success they should have, at least partly, because JV couldn't or wouldn't develop the car properly.

Lonny

[Jericoke]

I have always felt that much of his success at Williams was because Damon left him a well sorted car to start with. BAR never had the success they should have, at least partly, because JV couldn't or wouldn't develop the car properly.

Lonny

Not to defend Jacques per se, but look at Brawn/Button.  I don't think that Button has a lot to do with that car's success.  He's been with the team for years, and they go from worst to first. 

It's tough to isolate why a team can't get the right car.  Sometimes it is the driver.  Sometimes it's the team, and sometimes it's just an unfortunate combination where a driver's style doesn't mesh with the team.

[lkjohnson1950]

A car's success starts with a good design, which seemed to be Honda's biggest problem. Ross Brawn made some changes in the team, started work on the car early. There must have been hours of computer simulations that required driver input, including that of Button. I am equally sure the relationship between Brawn and Barichello helped Rubens feedback have a great input into the car. But except for when they were actually on the track we don't know how much input either driver had. Button was there to test when asked, something that JV wasn't always in his day. I think it is fair to say that Jens is a harder worker than JV.

Lonny

[Willy]

The USA loves star athletes, an American f1 team will not generate interest in the USA without a star driver.  They don't have to be GOOD, just a star.  Of course, any American who won an F1 race would become a star, but they're not going to win right away anyway.

That said, the USF1 team has Peter Windsor and he not a fool.
Remember Scott Speed? Remember why he sat in an F1 car in the first place? To gain US TV viewers. That worked really well didn't it?  I have about as much talent as he did and I have yet to get a call for a seat fitting.

USF1 needs a good driver that has experience in an F1 car, no matter how long ago it was.

JV has that, he can help the team and he is "North" American (okay, French Canadian) but still from this side of the pond.

[Jericoke]

The USA loves star athletes, an American f1 team will not generate interest in the USA without a star driver.  They don't have to be GOOD, just a star.  Of course, any American who won an F1 race would become a star, but they're not going to win right away anyway.

That said, the USF1 team has Peter Windsor and he not a fool.
Remember Scott Speed? Remember why he sat in an F1 car in the first place? To gain US TV viewers. That worked really well didn't it?  I have about as much talent as he did and I have yet to get a call for a seat fitting.

USF1 needs a good driver that has experience in an F1 car, no matter how long ago it was.

JV has that, he can help the team and he is "North" American (okay, French Canadian) but still from this side of the pond.

It would be a stretch to call Scott Speed a 'star'.  Jacques won the last Indy 500 that meant anything... when he jumped to F1 he was easily a top 5 name among American race fans.

Castronevez would be the best choice for an American team... he's a big star in North America, and a pretty good racer.

[lkjohnson1950]

If you check Castro-Neves results, he is much more successful on ovals than road courses. Let's face it the US or even North America does not have a really qualified driver to head an F1 team.

Lonny