USA need American F1 drivers, want Herta on the grid

Patrick, who participates in Sky Sports F1’s coverage of the US Grand Prix this weekend in Austin, says the sport has grown significantly in recent years thanks to the success of the Netflix series Drive to Survive.

“I definitely think the Netflix series Drive to Survive was a big deal,” Patrick told Motorsport.TV.

“Over the years so many people came up to me and said, ‘Hey, did you see that? Did you see that? Wow, I’m really interested in Formula 1 now.’

“I think it humanizes that there are storylines, it’s a way to really try and understand what is going on in the sport.”

The Netflix show is part of a far-reaching effort by American F1 owner Liberty Media to promote the sport in North America.

In 2022, F1 will add a second US race, the Miami Grand Prix, in addition to Austin’s US GP, with exploratory talks still ongoing about a possible third American date.

When asked what F1 needs to take the next step in popularity, Patrick believes the championship needs a competitive American driver to give US fans more reasons to follow the sport.

“If there was an American driver to cheer on, I think there would be more coverage here,” she said.

“Whether you know about late night TV magazines, morning news, or just plain sports coverage in general; there would be a reason to cover it, and I think that would definitely help.”

The current IndyCar driver, most often mentioned in the same breath as F1, is Colton Herta.

Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Honda

Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images

In 2019, at the age of 19, the Californian became the youngest IndyCar race winner of all time and has since become one of the main contenders for the championship with Andretti Autosport.

Multiple sources have indicated that Michael Andretti’s strong team is nearing a deal to take a controlling stake in the Alfa Romeo F1 team, becoming the second US team on the grid alongside Haas.

An Andretti expansion into F1 would open an obvious path for the 21-year-old Herta back to Europe, where he spent the 2016 season with Carlin in various Formula 3 championships.

Patrick supports a possible F1 change for Herta and says it would be a “great opportunity” for the six-time IndyCar race winner.

“Anyway, if it’s something you want to do and you feel like you have a chance to do well, I mean he won’t be a worse driver when he’s gone,” she added.

“When it doesn’t work out for him, Formula 1 drivers usually have a certain amount of credibility to try to come over and drive an IndyCar.

“So, I think it’s a totally great opportunity, and especially if he’s really looking forward to it, I think it’s really cool.

“And if everything was American it would be great. I’d love to see how it goes.”

See Danica Patrick live exclusively in Great Britain at the US GP in Austin on Sunday October 24th on Sky Sports F1.