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NASCAR: Five possible landing spots for Danica Patrick in 2018

By Asher Fair

JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15, 2017 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
JOLIET, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 15, 2017 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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MONZA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 01: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark driving the (20) Haas F1 Team Haas-Ferrari VF-17 Ferrari (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
MONZA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 01: Kevin Magnussen of Denmark driving the (20) Haas F1 Team Haas-Ferrari VF-17 Ferrari (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /

Formula One

Danica Patrick currently drives for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Stewart-Haas Racing is co-owned by three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas. Haas is the lone American team owner in Formula One. Could he possibly put her in one of his cars in the team’s third season and replace either Romain Grosjean or Kevin Magnussen?

A few years ago, Patrick said she had no desire to drive in Formula One.

"“I’m getting too old to change careers again and again, and I don’t really have a desire to do anything different than what I’m doing right now. I’m around my friends and family, and I’m racing internationally — and F1 I don’t think would really provide that.” “I lived in England for a few years and F1 was all I thought about doing, but to be honest when I came back home to the States, I thought this is where I want to be. You can never say never about anything — but at this point in time, I’m happy where I’m at.”"

However, the “where I’m at” she was referring to at the time was Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, where she won’t be driving next season. So is Formula One a legitimate possibility for her in 2018?

Patrick is one of the few NASCAR Cup Series drivers with lots of experience driving on road and street courses. She has driven in 10 road course races in her five full-time seasons in the Cup Series, which is the maximum seeing as how only two races are contested on road courses each season, and she drove in 44 road and street course races in her IndyCar career.

So while she hasn’t performed well in her NASCAR Cup Series career, as she has no top 5 finishes in 181 races and just one top 10 finish in her last 91 races with a career-high finish in the championship standings of just 24th place, she is honestly probably a better option as far as a Formula One ride goes than many of the other Cup Series drivers, as Formula One races are held only on road and street courses.

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