The 2010 Danica vs. Simona Thread

[PabloTeK]

Well theoretically I believe the FIA can consider cases of IndyCar drivers coming over to F1 but I'm not totally sure what the requirements are to get the super licence which seems to be in fact based on how much money you can bring to the sport sometimes (see Ho-Pin Tung).

I think Simona would struggle to get a pay-drive if the Stargate Worlds thing can't even stretch to the current team which appears to run things tighter than a waterfowl. She'd have to get in one of the upper teams (i.e. at least STR/Sauber) to have any chance of a drive! But if Speedfreaks are correct, several teams are interested and I'm sure the test drivers won't wait around forever...

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by PabloTeK

Well theoretically I believe the FIA can consider cases of IndyCar drivers coming over to F1 but I'm not totally sure what the requirements are to get the super licence which seems to be in fact based on how much money you can bring to the sport sometimes (see Ho-Pin Tung).

I think Simona would struggle to get a pay-drive if the Stargate Worlds thing can't even stretch to the current team which appears to run things tighter than a waterfowl. She'd have to get in one of the upper teams (i.e. at least STR/Sauber) to have any chance of a drive! But if Speedfreaks are correct, several teams are interested and I'm sure the test drivers won't wait around forever...

Point #5:

http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/2A9404B6E4C8FE4EC12575FA00440479/$FILE/Annexe%20L_2009_09.07.20.pdf

Outside whatever the requirements are, I think she would need time in GP2 first just for experience and then at least 300 kms of seat time in F1.

[JagtechOhio]

I don't know the details, but suspect the requirements are not impossible to satisfy.

Hildebrand tested for Force India with A1GP and Indy Lights as the highest catagories on his resume.

Esteban Gutierrez just signed as Sauber's F1 test driver, straight out of GP3 Europe.

The F1 interest in De Silvestro was reported at least a month ago.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

I don't know the details, but suspect the requirements are not impossible to satisfy.

Hildebrand tested for Force India with A1GP and Indy Lights as the highest catagories on his resume.

Esteban Gutierrez just signed as Sauber's F1 test driver, straight out of GP3 Europe.

The F1 interest in De Silvestro was reported at least a month ago.

AFAIK you can test to your hearts delight within the rules and is encouraged anyways as outside of being a championship winner in lower categories you need 300 kms. of testing anyways, but racing is another matter.

[JagtechOhio]

I would assume that Friday practice session participation by F1 test drivers helps to establish their credentials and fulfill licensing requirements.

[PabloTeK]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

I would assume that Friday practice session participation by F1 test drivers helps to establish their credentials and fulfill licensing requirements.

IIRC you have to have a super licence already to take part in Friday practice? From what I can gather the FIA class testing != practice.

[JagtechOhio]

The point is that F1 participants reportedly expressed an interest in De Silvestro. I am sure they know what if would take for her to obtain the required licensing, I am not an F1 fan and see no need to research it.

Simona has expressed an interest to remain in IndyCar, but apparently lacks a primary sponsor. That would seem to make outside offers worthy of serious consideration.

I don't think a race team gets locked out of its shop if their funding is in order, and I don't think F1 teams inquire about drivers who are incapable of establishing their eligability to participate.

[ptclaus98]

The thing about Simona is that she isn't ready for F1. It only takes one look at her resume to see it. It's no coincidence that the teams looking at her(Williams and Sauber) are struggling for cash. Sauber will fix this when they sign either Perez or Maldonado for next year, and I doubt Frank is going to seriously kick Rubens or Hulkenberg out for a driver who hasn't won a championship anywhere she's gone. Most likely, if she isn't in IndyCar, she'll be in sportscars.

[ptclaus98]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Point #5:

http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/2A9404B6E4C8FE4EC12575FA00440479/$FILE/Annexe%20L_2009_09.07.20.pdf

Outside whatever the requirements are, I think she would need time in GP2 first just for experience and then at least 300 kms of seat time in F1.

She wouldn't just need time in GP2. She'd need to be winning or at the very least competing. She doesn't bring money in the most female friendly market in the world. If a name like Senna can't bring money just by showing up, how is she going to do so?

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

She wouldn't just need time in GP2. She'd need to be winning or at the very least competing. She doesn't bring money in the most female friendly market in the world. If a name like Senna can't bring money just by showing up, how is she going to do so?

Oh I agree. Either you bring championships or you bring money. Or both preferably.

She might get her head handed to her. Or not. Certainly she has possibilities.

[JagtechOhio]

That was a racecar driver who finished second. Helluva show.

[Armco Bender]

Fairly impressive showing by Danica,2nds not to bad.

[JagtechOhio]

Bender, you watch that? Kanaan threw everything at her.

[Armco Bender]

Bender, you watch that?

Sure did,it was on live here Sunday lunchtime,yes she sure gave Kanaan a good going over and when he blinked she dived through the gap.Very impressive,another win can't be far away.

[Raven]

Danica has had two sensational races this year. I thought Texas was up there with the best performances of her career and last night probably topped that.

If last night showed anything, it showed that Danica, when her house is in order, can be a formidable and genuine front-runner. And this is not the first time she has confirmed this. She has even done so on road courses i.e. Long Beach 08 and her two front row starts in 07.

The points table shows a more accurate story of her season however and this has been a very inconsistent and often disappointing year for Danica. Luck hasn't been with her as it was at times in the past, but on balance you make your own luck and it's often down to the driver to make things happen for themselves through speed, skill, determination and focus.

Focus, in my opinion has been the key ingredient that has been missing this year and getting her priorities in order is what she needs to do going into 2011. Does she want to be a NASCAR driver or an Indycar driver? Being a full time Indycar driver, a part time NASCAR driver and a part time model is clearly not going to work. She can't milk the financial benefits from all of these and still hope to have any kind of consistent sporting success.

[ptclaus98]

Damn, that was ballsy by Danica. She went toe to toe with a seemingly angry Kanaan.

[JagtechOhio]

Lovely prose, Raven.

The reality is that the AA cars have often been less than competitive, and that Patrick and all her teammates have posted inconsistant results for at least the last two seasons accordingly.

So Patrick gets a car she has confidence in, hangs it out, and finishes well. Pig car, lousy points. The points chart tells you nothing, and her time in a Nascar seat means even less.

Did you analyze Justin Wilson's point tally and find metaphysical explanations too? He has no Nationwide car. He has no internal drama, and didn't forget how to drive.

He has been driving a car that is often off the pace, and posts lap times comparative to those of any of his teammates. Same as Danica Patrick. When Wilson's car is set up to his liking, he can darn near win with it too.

Patrick is a good driver, who would run 20th in a Dale Coyne Car. Maybe first in a red car. Lead pack, on the rare occasion that AA gives her what she needs. Same as her teammates.

[Yannick]

Here's hoping that Danica continues that stunning form she showed at Homestead through next season. After TK looks like he needs a new ride, she will be the team leader at Andretti - and her performance this weekend and the way from which she recovered from her early season slump clearly show that she's ready for it.
Andretti Autosport need to get more consistent in being front runners, though. Yet, the two wins by TK at Iowa and Ryan Hunter-Reay at Long Beach clearly show that they can win on both type of tracks.


Here's hoping that TK will find a competent ride in time for next season. If not, maybe we can see him running in an SFR car occasionally, like Graham Rahal did this year?

Simona De Silvestro has also shown that she's got what it takes to be in this series for a sophomore season. Hopefully, she can find the funding for a better ride than the one she had this year. Her P8 finish at Sonoma in that more-than-half-a-decade-old spare tub was impressive.

As for the other participant in the original "Danica vs. ... " thread: Is Mike Conway going to be back next season? He reportedly wanted to sit out Homestead to fully focus on his preparation for 2011, so here are my best wishes to him.

[Raven]

Jag,

AA has clearly not been on the level of Ganassi or Penske, who set an incredibly high standard this year between all five of their drivers, but Kanaan clearly had a much better year than he did in 09 and was fairly consistent in his "best of the rest" position as was AA in general. It's also worth noting that the team won two races -- two more than in 2009.

Points don't always mean a great deal, but over 17 races, how can they mean nothing?

I don't believe the point system has changed from last year and they ran the same amount of races. Danica was the only driver on her team that regressed in terms of points scored this year in comparison to last.

IMO there is more to having a good year/bad year than merely what team you drive for and how well prepared it is deemed to be - especially in what is basically a spec series.

[JagtechOhio]

You can't make generalizations about a driver's ability and focus based on their point totals. Ryan Hunter Reay, Kanaan and Marco ran like dogs too, when that's what they were driving.

With proper handling race cars, TK wins once, RHR wins once, Danica finishes second twice. Last year Patrick's car was more competitive on a consistant basis. She would have finished higher than 5th in the point tally if not for being punted out of Mid-Ohio and Homestead.

Does that mean she was better than all but 4 other drivers in the Series? Not hardly. Did the level of competition rise this year? Yup. Were AA cars as cosistantly competitive this year? Nope.

Go back and measure Patrick's points production with Tom Anderson running her car this year, and compare it to her results once Ziggy Harkus took over. You'll get a clue.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

Go back and measure Patrick's points production with Tom Anderson running her car this year, and compare it to her results once Ziggy Harkus took over. You'll get a clue.

There is no stark contrast in the points Danica scored between the first six races she ran with Anderson compared to her first six with Harcus. A slight up-swing if you want to make a big deal out of a dozen or so extra points, almost entirely due to Texas and it did nothing for her road/street course form.

Look, I am not dismissing your views as you seem to be mine. I actually agree with a lot of what you've said, but was simply throwing in a factor I feel holds at least some relevance. Granted, it doesn't carry as much significance as the car she is driving but no sportsman or woman of any discipline can bring the same personal form into every match/game/race, year after year and racing drivers are no different. There are other aspects to take on board other than pure car performance at their disposal and team rapport.

[JagtechOhio]

"...between the first six races she ran with Anderson compared to her first six with Harcus."

There is a stark contrast between pointing out the facts, and parsing statististics in attempt to substantiate an uninformed viewpoint.

Go on believing whatever it is you want.

[JagtechOhio]

Simona and HVM plan 2011 together:

http://www.16thandgeorgetown.com/201...hvm-in-11.html

[Raven]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

"...between the first six races she ran with Anderson compared to her first six with Harcus."

There is a stark contrast between pointing out the facts, and parsing statististics in attempt to substantiate an uninformed viewpoint.

Go on believing whatever it is you want.

It seemed the fairest way to go about doing what you suggested.

How should I have measured it?

[wnut]

Bump - how are the ladies going?