Danica Patrick has been one of the most popular names in motorsports ever since her debut. Be it for her career achievements, her controversies, or the story of her rise in a sport dominated by male drivers, Patrick has always been in the spotlight.
Patrick, who started her career at the age of 10 behind go-karts, came a long way to racing in IndyCar and NASCAR. Especially after her historic win at the Indy Japan 300, she became a global icon.
After her tumultuous final years as a full-time racer, Patrick retired in 2018. Even after her retirement, she has stayed connected to the sport in different capacities.
After her recent appearance on the broadcasting panel for the Indy500, several fans bashed Patrick for her comments.
Fans’ Backlash Over Danica Patrick’s Indy 500 Broadcast
After FOX Sports bagged the rights for the telecast of the Indy500, it recently announced the lineup of broadcasters for the most-anticipated race of the IndyCar calendar.
The list had more than a handful of stars alongside Patrick. Although Patrick was among the ones chosen for the commentary during the race. She was instead assigned pre-race duties along with 1997 IndyCar winner and NASCAR legend Tony Stewart.
In her pre-race presentation, Patrick was joined by Chris Myers, a sports broadcasting icon.
Myers began by welcoming the former IndyCar driver to the party, to which she responded, “It’s nice to be up here, instead of the track.”
Patrick then revealed that her reason for picking broadcasting over racing was the wind that day.
“This wind can play such a big role, and how the car feels,” she said. “As a driver, you are looking at that to check what direction it is and how straight out it is.”
She revealed that the wind speed that day was about 30 mph, and it moved from Turn 1 to 2, which would give the drivers a tough time.
Myers then mentioned the fan-favorite Josef Newgardern of Team Penske Chevrolet, who had won the last two Indy 500 races. He stated that he had a good shot at winning, and if he did so, he would be the first driver ever to win three Indy 500 races in a row.
To which Patrick added, “If you’re gonna drive for one team, then you’re gonna have the best shot at it, and Team Penske, they have 20 wins here. He’s such a solid driver.”
Patrick also mentioned that it adds a lot of pressure on the driver if they essentially aim for such a record. She also added that winning even one Indy500 is also a big feat in itself.
A little while later, Myers also brought up Alex Palou, another star driver in the tournament.
“He’s got four out of five wins this season, it’s incredible. He’s unstoppable. He’s been fast here at the speedway as well, so it is going to take a lot to slow him down.”
In the end, she also stated that several factors can affect winning at the Indy500, so the drivers must be alert throughout to pull off a victory.
After FOX posted a clip of the pre-race shenanigan on their X handle, several fans blasted Patrick for her analysis, starting with a fan questioning her F1 broadcasting career saying, “Does that mean she’s finally gone from F1?”
Does that mean she’s finally gone from F1?
— Sir Archie Bradley (@H4LoInReverse)
Another user agreed with this, saying, “Thank God.
No more Danica Patrick irritating us at F1 races.”
An IndyCar Journalist named Timm Hamm also wondered how long Patrick’s career as an IndyCar broadcaster would last.
For the love of GOD, how many more years is Danica Patrick going to ruin the Indy 500 broadcast???? Please just bury her now. pic.twitter.com/zHv066HvVZ
— Timm 'IndyCarTim' Hamm (@IndyCarTim)
One user even went as far as to write, “Every time she opens her mouth, I mute my TV.. Not interested in hearing from an ex-driver who, according to them, ‘never loved racing’ and never really cared enough to learn the cars she drove…”
In the end, an X user even posted a GIF that described Patrick’s view of IndyCar driver Palou.
I wonder if Danica Patrick thinks Alex Palou is a space lizard… #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/4V1wERGBrY
— Brandon 🗿🇪🇸 (@ColoBrandoni13)