Anderson had suggested earlier this month that his team is only considering US drivers for their F1 campaign. By signing Patrick as race driver for their upcoming F1 campaign, the team would also score big popularity points within the F1 fans, as she benefits from the most press coverage in the IndyCar Series.
“She gets a lot of press. (Indianapolis Motor Speedway president) Tony George would probably be pretty mad with me if I took her out of the IRL but we'll see. I don't know if it's something she wants to do. We'd certainly love to test her and go from there,” said Anderson, according to the aforementioned source.
In 2008, Patrick became the first female driver to triumph in a major North American open-wheel racing series, having recorded her first IndyCar win at Twin Ring Motegi. Ever since she stepped into the IRL, the Illinois-born driver improved her ranking in the series. She finished 6th place in the 2008 standings, having scored nine other Top 10 finishes throughout the season.
Danica was also rumored to having been considered by Honda's F1 team as test driver ahead of the 2009 season. However, the Japanese manufacturer announced their withdrawal from the sport shortly after the end of the 2008 season, putting an end to those allegations. According to the Associated Press, Anderson also nominated Scott Speed, Conor Daly and Josef Newgarden as likely candidates of a racing seat with USF1.
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