Danica Patrick said Thursday it was her decision to not return to Sky Sports as an analyst for the upcoming Formula 1 season that began this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix.
Patrick joined the broadcast team in 2021 following her retirement from racing, which included stints in both IndyCar and NASCAR. Her departure from the Sky broadcast team was confirmed Wednesday when the network announced a lineup of Martin Brundle, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Jacques Villeneuve, Naomi Schiff, Bernie Collins, Karun Chandhok, Jamie Chadwick and Anthony Davidson.
Patrick told The Associated Press on Thursday she initiated the departure at the end of last season.
“I called after the season last year and just said it was time for me to move on,” she told AP. “I felt like I had taken in a great experience in F1 and was ready to have more time for other projects and interests.
“I am building a new company. I am also new to a couple of boards with big plans, and very busy punishing myself by learning new sports like tennis, golf, and skiing.”
Patrick during the last U.S. election cycle became an outspoken conservative and supporter of President Donald Trump, which led many to speculate her entrance into politics played a role in her departure from the F1 broadcast team. F1 is a globetrotting series that races on five continents.
She said she enjoyed her time in F1 and found the work demanding but rewarding. Patrick has also been part of the broadcast team for the Indianapolis 500 the last several years.
“I had an amazing time with the Sky Sports team. They were the reason I did it for so long. It was a lot of work — more than being a driver in many ways during a race weekend — especially in terms of time commitment at the track,” she said. “However, as a group, we made it fun. I also learned a lot about F1 and the drivers and became a much bigger fan, so that was fun too.
“The sport of F1 is very entertaining. My favorite part is the team principals. They understand the assignment of good television while obviously being incredible at running race teams.”
Patrick began racing as a child and briefly pursued a career in Europe before moving back to the U.S. for single-seater racing in the IndyCar Series. She made her debut in 2005 at age 23 and spent seven full seasons in that series, notably finishing third in the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
Her one career IndyCar victory came in 2008 in Japan.
Patrick moved to NASCAR in 2012 and went winless in 191 starts. She made 2017 her final full season as a racer and in 2018 concluded her driving career by racing in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 as a farewell.
She set many marks on the track as the first woman to lead laps in the Indianapolis 500, the highest-finishing Indy 500 female driver and the first woman to win the pole for the Daytona 500, which she did in 2013.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
