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Danica Patrick is a retired IndyCar and NASCAR racer who has a vast CV backing her punditry venture in the F1 realm. However, upon returning to the broadcast at the United States GP race weekend, she faced backlash from fans, continuing with the trend of almost every race weekend that she has been present at.
Patrick started her premier open-wheel racing career in IndyCar in 2005, and she immediately hit the ground running. The American racer became the first female to lead a lap at the fabled Indy 500 and eventually won a Grand Prix.
After spending years in the series, in 2012 she decided to move away from the open-wheel racing formula and join NASCAR. There, she was unable to compete with the rest of the field regularly and claimed just one pole position and seven top-10s.
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However, being successful in your racing career apparently does not command respect as an F1 pundit. So what is the reason that has impacted Patrick's perception in the F1 sphere? Let's take a look at some of the reasons that have adversely affected the 43-year-old's reputation among netizens:
Controversial opinions
Danica Patrick has been at the center of controversy ever since she got behind the wheel of a racecar. And that pattern has continued during her punditry stint.
In 2023 Patrick claimed that women were not likely to break through the F1 gates due to their feminine mindset, and she bashed by fans. That was not the first time the former NASCAR driver had made such comments either.
Danica Patrick's comments on broadcast
By far the biggest reason seems to be her comments during F1 races. Fans have not appreciated Patrick's commentary on the Sky Sports broadcast, which has led them and even former F1 team members to comment about her presence on social media.
Her comments at the Canadian GP race weekend - claiming that Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was not the most complicated on the F1 calendar - were countered by former F1 champion Nico Rosberg.
That was not the only time another F1 pundit was left discontent with Patrick's words; it has happened fairly frequently with Jenson Button on the Sky Sports broadcast. Even Martin Brundle had a similar awkward moment earlier in the year after hearing Patrick's comments about the Canadian track.
Since when has Danica Patrick been working with Sky Sports in F1?
Danica Patrick became a household name in the United States after her IndyCar debut in 2005, which she followed up with her maiden win in the series in 2008. She continued racing until 2018, before she bid adieu and became a motorsports pundit.
Her expert role in the motorsport sphere was seemingly kick-started by Sky Sports F1; she was brought on board as a panelist ahead of the 2021 United States GP race weekend. Since then, she has been a regular part of Sky Sports' expert panel in the North American races.
With the partnership flourishing this year, Danica Patrick is also expected to be present at the Mexican and Las Vegas GP race weekends before the end of the 2025 season.
