"I'm getting too old to change careers": When Danica Patrick ruled out F1 switch despite past interest

The most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, Danica Patrick, retired from the sport in 2018. She holds numerous records in NASCAR and IndyCar. She has shifted to becoming an entrepreneur and business owner after retiring from racing.

Syndication: The Tennessean - Source: Imagn

She is the first woman to win a pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series' Daytona 500 race. She is the first woman to lead laps in the Daytona 500, has led the most laps by a woman in the NASCAR Cup series, and is the first woman to win an IndyCar series race. Patrick was asked about a career change to Formula 1 in 2015, and she said she had no plan to change her career.

"I’m getting too old to change careers again and again, and I don’t have a desire to do anything different than what I’m doing right now, I’m around my friends and family, and I’m racing internationally – and F1, I don’t think would provide that. I lived in England for a few years, and F1 was all I thought about doing, but to be honest, when I came back home to the States, I thought this is where I want to be. You can never say never about anything – but at this point, I’m happy where I’m at,” Danica Patrick said back in 2015 via a special 'Women in F1' edition of CNN's The Circuit

Bernie Ecclestone was once pretty keen for Patrick to join the top tier of motorsport. If she had raced in F1, she would have been the sport's first female driver after 1992.

Danica Patrick reacts to America's first pope, Leo XIV

People, including former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick, eagerly waited for the announcement of the next pope in the Vatican City. Patrick reacted to the news after Cardinal Prevost was finally elected as the catholic leader. She shared an Instagram reel on her story that included the new pope's appearance in front of the Vatican.

"His energy seems so humble and sweet, and he’s from the Chicago area! Pretty cool. What a time to be alive for Americans,” Patrick wrote on her Instagram story

Danica Patrick's Instagram story | Via Instagram/@danicapatrick

Patrick participated in 116 races during her IndyCar career. She registered three poles and seven podium finishes during her career as a driver in the IndyCar circuit.

She also featured in 191 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, and while she couldn't register any top-five finishes, she amassed seven top 10 finishes. Her outing in the NASCAR Xfinity series saw her compete across 61 races with one top-five and seven top 10 finishes. She has transformed into a renowned motorsports pundit after retirement.