"Oh no not Danica Patrick": Pundit faces backlash from F1 fans in her appearance on the broadcast

Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was among the hosts for Sky F1’s coverage of the 2025 US GP at the Circuit of the Americas. Patrick faced backlash for her appearance on the broadcaster as fans took to the social media platform X.

Patrick began her professional racing career in the open wheel racing series, racing in the UK before returning to the US and joining the IndyCar series. She then left the American open-wheel racing series and joined NASCAR.

The 43-year-old participated in her last IndyCar and NASCAR race in 2016 at the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, respectively, before retiring from motorsports. Patrick then joined Sky Sports as a host for the broadcast of the F1 races, and continues to do the same as a part-time job.

The former IndyCar driver also recently featured on FOX’s broadcast team for the coverage of the Indy 500. She made her latest appearance in the F1 paddock at the US GP as part of Sky F1’s broadcast team. Fans took to the social media platform X as Danica received backlash for the same.

“Oh no not Danica Patrick,” wrote a user on X

Another mentioned, “Oh crap forgot Danica Patrick is on this weekend.”

“Tuned into F1 but I forgot Danica Patrick is still employed by sky,” wrote another user

Some fans came out and asked Sky F1 to get Patrick off the broadcast team, as they wrote,

“Get rid of Danica Patrick!”

Another mentioned, “Oh gawd, I had genuinely forgotten about the existence of Danica Patrick and now she’s on my TV again FFS”

“Just turned on Sky Sports F1 and first thing i saw was Danica Patrick 🤢.....my weekend is ruined!!! 😩” wrote another user on X

Danica has also been involved in the world of politics, as she supported Donald Trump in last year's US Presidential elections, and was even present in Washington, DC, for the oath-taking ceremony.

Danica Patrick on how the Sky Sports F1 gig helped with her Indy 500 appearance with FOX

F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Practice & Sprint Qualifying - Source: Getty

Since FOX took over the broadcasting rights of IndyCar, the 2025 Indy 500 was the first race at Indianapolis, and the media group assembled a special lineup for the broadcast show. Danica was one of the members invited by FOX as part of the lineup.

Patrick recently came out on the Haley Dillon YouTube channel and detailed how Sky Sports’ F1 gig helped with the Indy 500, as she said,

“It's always just such an honor you know. Again that nostalgia is there and um you know I feel like I can sort of you know because I do a lot of F1 stuff too and um you know I feel like I can speak a little bit more confidently about the cars or the dynamics or whatever's going on.” (1:05:31 onwards)

Even though whenever I ask engineers or people like that about you know F1 or other things it's like it's all pretty much the same um but uh but it's cool it's just it's a really spectacular race and um it's uh yeah I have a lot of it it's a good feel good feel race for me," she added.

NASCAR legend Tony Stewart also joined Patrick for this year's Indy 500 coverage.

About the author

Pranay Bhagi is a motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience in the industry. Having worked with respected platforms such as EssentiallySports and SportsRush, he has written nearly 2,000 articles covering the thrilling worlds of Formula 1 and NASCAR. Pranay’s knack for presenting unique angles and breaking down complex developments has established him as a reliable voice in the motorsports community.

Armed with a B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration, Pranay’s professional journey reflects his dedication to accuracy and storytelling. His deep knowledge of motorsports allows him to anticipate trends, find engaging storylines, and mentor budding writers. He has also spearheaded initiatives to improve content efficiency, including leading workshops and presentations for fellow writers.

When not writing or analyzing motorsport races, Pranay enjoys traveling across India on his motorcycle, watching football, and indulging his curiosity by researching various interests. A devoted fan of Sebastian Vettel, Pranay admires the champion’s perseverance, integrity, and determination to fulfill dreams against all odds.

Balancing a love for both drivers and constructors, Pranay continues to bring insightful, ethical, and compelling content to motorsports fans worldwide. At Sportskeeda, he aims to enrich readers’ experience with his expertise and enthusiasm for the sport.

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Edited by Pranay Bhagi