Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Rubens Barrichello has received an offer to see out his long motor racing career in America, according to reports.

The German newspaper Bild claims the 35-year-old, who next month will set a new benchmark as the longest serving grand prix driver in history, has been asked to run with the Andretti-Green IndyCar team in 2009.

Barrichello's current contract with the F1 team Honda, owned by the Japanese marque that also equips Andretti-Green – and the series - with engines, runs out at the end of 2008.

Bild raises the possibility of a seat 'swap'; Barrichello to IRL in exchange for Andretti-Green's Marco Andretti, the 21-year-old American son of former McLaren driver Michael Andretti, whose own father Mario won the world championship in 1978.

Reportedly, the American broadcaster Speed TV cited Barrichello as confirming the offer.

Marco Andretti has already collected about 900 kilometres of testing in a Honda F1 car.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Marco's not ready for f-1.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I agree, maybe sometime down the road both he and young Rahal will represent the U.S. in F-1, not now though. :redflag:

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I also agree,not yet!!

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I agree, I dont think he is ready for it but i beleive he will adapt well and fast. And it will be a shame to see Barrichello gone from the sport he will be missed.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

If Marco wants a chance in F1, he needs to go now. Believe it or not, he is getting too old to have a career in F1. He needs to go now and either run GP2 for a year, or as a test driver for an F1 team for at least a year.

Sebastian Vettel is the "next big thing" in F1. He took over Scott Speed's seat at Toro Rosso and has scored top 10 finishes in a 3rd rate team and will soon be promoted into David Coultard's seat at the Red Bull Racing stable. He was a test driver at the BMW F1 team at 18 years old and he is now just 21......The same age as Marco....The time is now....

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

He better be prepared to run at the back. That team prints money and lights it a blaze with nothing to show for it. With the money they have, probably the worst run team on the grid. IF he does it, I hope it's to be a stepping stone to a better team.....otherwise you're just making laps. Barrichello hasn't sniffed a win since going there....pretty sure he didn't forget how to drive.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Marco is still making some very poor desisions mainly from trying to hard and forcing the issue. It is common with young drivers and driver that need to live up to the hype but for a third year driver he needs to settle down and not break half shafts or spin out on cold tires

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Honda will be making HUGE gains in performance in 2009. With the hiring of Ross Brawn as the new Team Principal late last winter, the Honda team will be a major player in the coming years. Mark my words. Ross Brawn, for those of you who do not know, was the architect of Michael Schumacher's success at Benneton and Ferrari.

Reubens is in the twilight of his career, he is consistantly outperformed by his teammate, Jenson Button.

There isn't a driver on earth who will jump right into a Ferrari, BMW, McLaren or Renault seat without paying their dues first. Or doing like Lewis Hamilton, Nelson Piquet or Robert Kubica and kick ass in GP2 for a season or two, even then, they'll be relegated to the 2nd car.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Speaking of cold tires....

Beginning next year, there will be no more tire warmers being used in F1.

Already this year, the loss of traction control has really made the racing a lot more exciting and I even had to laugh when Bob Varsha made a comparison to Fernando Alonso and Steve Kinser when he was sliding through a corner with the left fron tire off the ground.

Other new rules for 2009..... Slicks will be back. They are also taking away 50% of their downforce.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I'll believe it when I see it. Every year they say they are going to be improved. I haven't see it yet. And yes, I know who he is and what he's done, but I still won't believe it until I see it. Ferrari was in bad shape when he came in, but not like this team.

I know how F1 works. My point is he better be prepared to run at the back because that's what going to happen. His old man went over there and came back quickly. He didn't get much support over there so that's my point. You don't get support, you don't move up and on. Be careful what you wish for is all I'm saying.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

That's excellent advice right there. He should probably master the Indycars first. Did anyone catch the interview with Marco after he crashed in Japan? When asked what happened he stated, "I tried to take advantage of the cold tires to gain some positions and it got away from me".
Even my 16 year old daughter (who loves Marco) looked at me puzzled and said, "aren't you supposed to take it easy on cold tires?"
Sometimes I'm not so sure what goes on in Marco's head. I think F1, at this point in his career, could be fatal. Just one dude's opinion.
David.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

[QUOTE=Ovalmeister;36797]Even my 16 year old daughter (who loves Marco) looked at me puzzled and said, "aren't you supposed to take it easy on cold tires?"
QUOTE]

Educate her on Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya... ;)

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

All that's left then is to take away the other 50% of downforce, remove the mirrors, radios, and telemetry....oh, and get rid of the pavement too. :applaud: The overpaid fashion models in F1 are billed as the best racecar drivers in the world but personally, I don't believe they could carry the helmet bag of many of our current and former open wheel stars. With a few more practice laps under his belt I do believe Jeff Gordon could've competitively run the USGP.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

It's one thing to be fast when you're the only car on the track for just a few laps. Put 21 more out there and push as hard as they do for 60 laps and I'll be impressed.

I'm not saying he couldn't do it, but just and I am sure that JPM or Shumacher could run up fron in a sprint car (winged on nonwinged), it's going to take time.

Look at JPM at the prelude, he had never even SEEN a dirt track OR a late model until he set foot on Eldora. But he took to it like a duck to water.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I do think KT hit it on the head, be careful what you wish for, but for Marco, it's his time, he'd be stupid not to go for it. Everyone knows that it's a garbage team, and everyone in F1 knows it's a garbage team. Remember when Alonso drove for Minardi? Now where is he, a two time champion. But Marco has to go now, or the time will pass him, becuase I really don't see him winning the 500, or the Indycar title, so he better leave.

Now I will say this, now that they have started to take some of the control out of the car, look at what's happened. We're seeing the actual drivers emerge. It's still a money game, it always has and it always will be, that's not going to change. But the racing has gotten a lot better. Cars are sliding around all over the place, and it's a freakin blast to watch Lewis Hamilton run the dog-piss out of that car burning the tires off it to get ahead. The racing has been good this season, and will only get better, and the real drivers will come forward. Do I think Marco could be the savior for Honda, hell no, but do I think he could compete with Jenson Button, absolutely.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I don't want to see him go but if he does I glad it's not Napcar.

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

If Marco goes "over there", I hope he has a career like his grandfather did in F1.:thumb I also hope his career is not like his father's was in F1.:thumbsdown:

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

I was always inpressed by world champions and in this day and age, what happens in the world reflects how Americans and the World see us...ie. Americans.

If your goal is to be the best in the World then taking the opportunity
when it awaits you is a must. Whether you are ready for it or not, like
when a young soldier barely out of the crib, with really very little
experience in life is asked to sacrifice his life and go to war for the common good of his country and hopefully the world, Marco must
go, brave the storm and hopefully find victory at the end of the the day.

Winning is not about passing the checkered flag in first place. It's about how you accepts challenges in life, when you are not ready for it,
against all the odds with very little chance of success.

In the final analysis we will always cherish the Andrettis not for thier
accomplishments in racing, but that they represented America with
thier best efforts.

We will always be proud of these young men and old, for in them
we see a little bit of ourselves.

Larry "O":thumb

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Forget Marco! Did anyone else happen to see Darren Clayton's blog a couple of weeks ago? He said his ultimate goal was "to represent the United States in the world's premier form of motorsports; Formula 1." I say we need to all pitch in and make this happen. A true blue dirt-tracker in F1! Git er done! :greenflag:

Re: Bye, bye Marco Andretti???
 

Clayton has a blog?!

...and the world gets weirder everyday...