MAY 28, 2001

Castroneves: never say never

INDY 500 winner Helio Castroneves, has shown his hand in wanting to make the jump from success in the States to a life in Formula 1. The Team Penske driver, who once finished ahead of Michael Schumacher in the Champion Spark Plug Driver Rankings, is enjoying his time in the spotlight and made a familiar-sounding overture to F1.

"Where I come from in Brazil, Formula 1 is the main sport," he said. "But every driver has their own steps and their own way. I don't want to follow Juan Montoya or Jacques Villeneuve or somebody else, I want to go and have the best opportunity to win. I am happy where I am today, but if a big Formula 1 team came and asked if I wanted to go for it, I'd have to think about it."

There seems little chance of that happening in the near future however, but when Eddie Irvine'S contract expires a driver popular in the USA is known to be the preferred option of its owners in Detroit and of team principal Bobby Rahal. Team Green Champ Car driver Dario Franchitti is, however, the leading contender for that place at the moment.