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Danica Patrick downplays F1 link

ESPN Staff
March 18, 2013 « McLaren battling against time | Whitmarsh responds to Horner swipe »
' It looked like [Ecclestone] was kind of acknowledging my ability to drive a car' © Getty Images
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Danica Patrick has no desire to drive in Formula One even though the Bernie Ecclestone has indicated he would like to lure her to the sport.

Speaking on the official F1 website, Ecclestone said that although he would like to see Patrick try out in F1 she would "hardly want to give up the exposure she has in the USA to come here and maybe not make it. All the things that people worry about - whether a woman can cope with the g-forces and all that - she has proven that she can."

Patrick, in her first full season in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, told ESPN she was flattered but not interested. "I did see something about Bernie's comments. They sounded complimentary, and it looked like he was kind of acknowledging my ability to drive a car.

"I always said unless it would be something I would want to do for real, as in race a Formula One car, I don't see any point in testing it. It's a lot of work to get fitted in a car comfortable enough to be able to go drive it."

Ecclestone's enthusiasm about Patrick is in contrast to comments he made about women in Formula One in 2005 when he said: "I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women should be all dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances," he said at the time."

Reminded of the remarks, Patrick said: "I tell you what, I do love domestic appliances. I love to cook, and I love to be in the kitchen. That's flattering. Those utensils are very important in my life."

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