Herta for Minardi?

[Mr V]

just read this on www.autosport.com one of the stranger rumours of the year i think!

American Bryan Herta is said to be chasing a drive with Minardi for the final three grands prix of the season, which would include his home race at Indianapolis...
If Herta did race in the Italian, US and Japanese GPs, he would become the first American to compete in F1 since Michael Andretti drove for McLaren in 1993. Danny Sullivan was the last American to race in a US GP back in 1983 when he drove for Tyrrell.

[f1manoz]

Would he be bringing any sponsorship cash to the team?

What happens if he tests and turns out to be slower than Yoong (not that I think that it's possible)?

[Mr V]

Originally posted by f1manoz
Would he be bringing any sponsorship cash to the team?

Dunno about that f1man, i personally don't see Yoong being dropped by Minardi and being replaced by any driver as i can't see the Maylasian government sponsering them without a Maylasian in the car! Although another driver would get Maylasia more coverage by the very fact that the other driver will have actually qualified the car!

[BootsOntheSide]

Unfortunately, the list of drivers who aren't in F1 (or even F3000 or CART) who can do a better job than Alex Yoong would eb long enough to fill a whole tree, but we could really be stuck with him. He's probably Malaysia's best current driver, and Mr V is probably right that the sponsorship is dependant on the prescence of a Malaysian driver.

[Lee Janotta]

I hope this isn't true. I like Bryan Herta well enough, but there is no way he's qualified for an F1 seat. More qualified than Yoong, sure, but I think my cat's more qualified than Yoong.

If Stoddart wants to give an American an F1 break, there are a trio of excellent F3 drivers who'd jump at the chance...

[Sato san]

O YES !!.

normally i like to see them give a bit of young talent a chance , but for Bryan i will make a exception . Herta is a great racer , and i would love to see what he could do with a back of the grid F1 team .

Sign him... sign him !

[ghinzani]

blow up Indy then divert the GP to Laguna - then Brian will fly!! Minardis first GP victory ??

[Stephen Green]

There is the small matter of an F1 superlicence as well.

[M Coupe]

If Yoong can get one...............

[bart_jacobs]

I'd love to see him drive an F1 car !!I painted my helmet just like his helmet...he's a great racer and i like the idea of moving laguna seca to f1...

[paul-collins]

How difficult is it to get the superlicense if you have the license to drive top-level sportscars? What are FIA regs on that?

I would think that with his log book (CART, ALMS, Le Mans, Trans Am) it would be an administrative slam-dunk.

[shiny side up!]

I hope this has some truth to it. Herta won't set the world on fire, but he's a good racer and he will be much faster than Yoong...

[alesi95]

Herta's a nice chap and did pretty well in CART.
But honestly I can't see him doing a better job than Yoong.

[marcus]

sounds interesting , and why not I say give the guy a shot see what he can do.


one thing about the article posted it states that Andretti was the last American in F1 which of course is true but then it says that Danny Sullivan was the last American to drive in an American Grand prix.

obviously have forgotten about Eddie Cheever driving for Arrows in 1989 at Pheonix then ??

[Jay]

That would be interesting....

I don't think the superlicense farce will mean anything... That's just a formality to give the appearance that you have to have some ability to drive in Formula One.

[R]

Having raced in Cart, alongside those other credentials mentioned by paul-collins, Herta will of course face no problems in obtaining a superlicense.

Better than Alex Yoong? Definitely. If the GP had been at Laguna Seca, I'd be willing to place a bet on Herta outperforming Mark Webber. Can't see it happening on the three tracks he will drive (if this comes through) though... Based on the fact that Webber has almost a season's worth of experience with Minardi now.

[Jordi]

He would not set the world on fire, but he would be quite equal to Webber. Herta's one hell of a road-course driver.

[EERO]

I won't deny that I find it an exciting prospect. I am suspiciouys about how readily he could get himself up to speed though.

[Russfeld]

Herta doesnt qualify for a superlicense. He'd have to get one like Kimi and Jenson did, and that'd be difficult given Minardi's lack of testing this season.

beyond that, I dont think he's qualified or deserving. Hell he's not even as good as Franchitti and his Jag test wasnt mind blowing

[Sato san]

Originally posted by alesi95
Herta's a nice chap and did pretty well in CART.
But honestly I can't see him doing a better job than Yoong.

o come on , Herta is a race winner ! the guy has won races on a international stage !!!.......Yoong hasnt ever won a race since he done Formula ASIA in 1997 , and that isnt exactly a big top level series is it .

Herta may not be a future world champion but he deserves a lot better than to be classed with Yoong .

[Mr V]

I'd like to see Herta in F1 if just for the fact that his wife likes to have a good time..........

Last year, after the Rockinham race, a mate of mine (and member of this forum, won't say his name as i don't want to embarress him) was in the reception of the Northampton Hilton, about 7pm, when he came across Mr and Mrs Herta, i should i say Mrs Herta came across his bag that was on the floor! you see, Mrs Herta had had a few to drink and tripped over the bag, my mate, ever the gent tried to catch her and inadvertantly molested one of her boobs, Mrs Herta stemed off in a huff but Bryan came up and apologised! Wot a guy, apologising to a guy who'd just "felt his missus up!"

as i say...i don't want to embarress my mate, but i'll give you a clue...........

it was Sato San

[Sato san]

You bugger !!!!!!

I never said she had been drinking , she just may have been tired or something , but yes she did fall over my bag , and may i say in my defence ....that she stomped right over my bag and fell right on to me , so to stop myself from being taken out too , i tried to catch her to break her fall . It was a knee jerk reaction !...hehehe

But yes , Bryan did come over and apolige for any stuff she may have broken in my bag as she stomped over it .

nice guy was Bryan !


thanks Mr V for that one ......i owe you !!!

[ghinzani]

but was she worth the gropeing? ;-)

[mac]

Herta's not a bad driver - but as Lleyton Hewitt once said: "come on!" F1 bosses never touch guys from CART unless they have totally dominated - Villeneuve, Zanardi, Montoya, (possibly) da Matta. Herta was above average at best in CART and never really set the world on fire.

Herta won 2 (was it 2?) races at the only place where he seemed to be able to drive - the track he grew up on.

And for anyone who reckons Herta would beat Webber - wake up. Webber has shown this year that he is a top class driver. And F1 is a far superior performance machine than anything he's driven before. And the only thing close that he's driven is vastly different to an F1 car.

If Bryan came back to CART, it would probably take him the best part of a year to get up to speed, let alone in F1.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind seeing Herta get a chance, but I wouldn't burst into tears if it didn't come.

[Valve Bounce]

I think a lot of guys here are fantasizing about how Herta could beat Mark. In fact, I do hope Herta does get into the Minardi because I'd like to compare him to Mark. IMHO, Mark would beat him in quals as well as the races. To add fuel to this fire, it might not be such a bad idea for Herta to get into F1 with Minardi for the rest of this year. If he impresses, he might hust get a seat with red Bull Arrows next year then.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]