Wheldon still hoping for F1?
The 2005 Indy 500 and IRL champion is apparently holding discussions with the newly Dutch-owned team, despite previously admitting affection for his highly-paid place in America's racing scene.
Tiago Monteiro, Christian Klien and Gary Paffett, however, are also touted for the Silverstone-based ride, amid reports that the successful applicant will be the one with the most lucrative backing.
Asked if a decision about the seat could be expected soon, Spyker's director of racing, Michiel Mol, told Formula 1 RaceReport: "I hope it does not take too long, but we first want to concentrate on getting a title sponsor."
10/02/06 We hear that Dan Wheldon is still looking for a way to break into Formula 1 and could be seen testing for one of the F1 teams in the course of the winter months. Wheldon grew up racing Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson in karts in Britain and, not surprisingly, believes that he should one day be in F1. Unfortunately his career path took him to America early on because he did not have the backing to climb the European racing ladder. He had a stellar career in the US and has been racing successfully in the Indy Racing League since 2002. He has won the Indianapolis 500 and the IRL Championship and this year was a close second. He has nothing left to prove over there and wants to head home lest he end up in the trap that Sebastien Bourdais is currently in, having become dominant in Champ Cars but being unable to get F1 teams to take a look at him. Grandprix.com
[Editor's Note: That is the problem with the split IRL/Champ Car Series – they are not popular enough and don't pay well enough for drivers to view them as somewhere they want to stay long-term. Before Tony George destroyed the sport by starting the IRL and driving a wedge right through its heart, CART was very popular, had more sponsorship than NASCAR and drivers were not looking at NASCAR and F1 as "greener grass." CART was held in high regard and both young and old drivers viewed it as a pinnacle of their career. Now going on 11 years later, even Indy 500 winners are looking at NASCAR and F1. Bourdais and Wheldon should not feel as though they are "trapped." A re-unified Champ Car/IRL series would begin to restore some of that lost luster and again make open wheel racing in the USA a destination, rather than a pass-through point. ]