American swimwear model and sometime Indycar driver Danica Patrick has effectively confirmed that she will not be switching to Formula One in 2010, despite speculation linking her with a move to new team US F1 for the new season.
Mindless silly season speculation from news sources and bored websites such as this one have claimed that Patrick could move to US F1, who have made no secret of their introverted desire to place two American drivers in their race seats, to become the first female F1 driver since Giovanna Amati had a brief career failing to pre-qualify for Brabham in 1992.
But in a chat with the Los Angeles Times, where she was asked if she knew what series she would be competing in next season, Patrick avowed that: "I'd say it's probably not F1."
She also claimed that, predictably, the rumours surrounding USF1 were untrue, and the team had not been in contact with her. "I've had opportunities to take it a step further with Formula 1, and I don't want to lead anyone down a path," she confusingly said, "It's not in my heart to go there. I've explored Europe before.
"I particularly like to be here and I like my family and I like my friends and I like my creature comforts of my home country."
She will be left to decide between moving to contrived oval mess NASCAR or remaining with the increasingly irrelevant Indycar series, where she currently drives for Andretti Green Racing.
Despite the loss of the publicity-generating leading lady, the F1 grid should at least keep the almost-as-exciting Jarno Trulli on the grid next year.
The Italian has declared that he is firmly looking to remain in F1 for another year at least, and he is rumoured to be mulling over a contract from the Japanese manufacturer.
"At the moment I am driving, and really enjoying it," Trulli wittered when asked about his future, "As long as you drive quick there is no reason to be concerned. Obviously you don't know what is going to happen, as it is hard to see where F1 is heading to at the moment, but that will all be clear soon."
Trulli is rumoured to be back at the top of the shopping list for the Toyota squad after an attempt to lure Kimi Raikkonen away from Ferrari and into a seat with the team next year were rebuffed by the 2007 champion.
Trulli had been mulling over the prospect of retirement, but this year's encouraging results have spurred him on, and he claims that securing Toyota's first win remains at the top of his list of priorities.
"This is still one of my targets which I am strongly chasing this year, and still believing in it," he said for what felt like the seventeenth year in a row, "Even though there is a gap and we can all see it, giving the car I have I still hope I can make it - whether it is now, next weekend, or a special weekend. It is there and you have to be ready to catch it."
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