Patrick would struggle in F1

UPDATE A reader adds, Danica can't even squeeze out good results in a car she is very familiar with prepared by one of the top teams in the series so does anyone really think she has a snow balls chance in hell in ANY car in the F1 paddock? Has anyone counted how many times Simona De Silvestro has out-qualified her this year in a low budget team while Danica is with one of the top IndyCar teams? She has skills but they seem to be more in the marketing field than on the grid. Mark Bartlett

08/13/10 Force India driver Tonio Liuzzi thinks that it would be a tough ask for a female driver to succeed in Formula One due to the physical and psychological demands of the sport.

Bernie Ecclestone said that somebody like Danica Patrick would be 'a perfect advert' for the sport in a recent interview on the official F1 website. But Liuzzi thinks Patrick, who has raced mainly on Oval circuits in America, would find it hard to adapt to Formula One.

"I think it would be quite tough for the girls," Liuzzi told ESPNF1. "I think Danica could be big for publicity like she is in America but Formula One has a different objective and is a tougher challenge both physically and psychologically. To be at the top in Formula One is not as easy as people expect. I doubt it would work but Bernie has all these great ideas to showcase the business and he is the boss so you never know!"

The route into Formula One for the majority of drivers starts at the bottom rung of the ladder in karting before a hard graft through various different formulae. But with money being a big driving force, a select few enjoy an easier route in.

"I think Formula One has seen a lot of similar moves happening in the last few years, so it wouldn't surprise me."