Danica Patrick faced calls to be fired from other | Sports News

Former NASCAR star Danica Patrick has acquired backlash a number of instances during her time as a pundit.

The 43-year-old stays the one girl to have gained an IndyAutomobile Series race and in addition gives her insights on the F1 season. Despite her motorsport legacy, she has been criticised for sharing her political opinions away from the grid and expressing her doubts that a feminine driver may compete in F1. As co-host on the Indy 500 final weekend, Patrick was on the centre of one other social media storm after sporting an off-the-shoulder black-and-white striped gown on FOX Sports, which divided viewers. However, it’s not the primary time the NASCAR legend has triggered a stir amongst followers.

During the Indy 500, Patrick donned a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat to show her assist for President Donald Trump. Regarding her political opinions, she spoke at a rally during Trump’s election marketing campaign and in addition criticised Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s outfit during a White House assembly. Patrick’s public assist of President Trump is partly why she is considered as a divisive determine.

Earlier this month, the NASCAR icon made her first look of the present F1 season on Sky Sports. Patrick has labored with the broadcaster since October 2021, significantly on U.S. races, and was in attendance for the latest Miami Grand Prix, however her return was not universally welcome.

On X, one F1 fan wrote: “WHY THE F— IS DANICA PATRICK ON MY TV SCREEN. Read the f—— room. No one values her opinion.” A second mentioned: “I’m so glad everyone hates seeing Danica Patrick on our TV screens, she provides nothing, and even to the point that her colleagues don’t seem to like it.”

A 3rd posted: “Dear Sky Sports, get Danica Patrick off your coverage. No one wants to see her or hear her views. Such a turn-off.”

Patrick confessed that wading into political discourse has had some penalties in her personal life. “When you get into politics, you know you’re going to lose half of your friends. Maybe half of my followers too, you never know,” she explained.

“Definitely, once I post some stuff about politics, you see some dropping due to that. But then you definitely get some back as a result of that is how it really works… I’d say the identical factor works with associates. You know, you may drop some associates however then you definitely’re gonna decide some up too since you’re going to discover more of your people. And it is going to make you happier anyway.”

Some Sky Sports viewers were unhappy that Patrick would remain part of the broadcast team for the 2025 season, while former F1 champion Damon Hill had left his role after 13 years. The NASCAR legend previously voiced her controversial thoughts on the W Series’ and F1 Academy’s ambition to include a female driver in F1.

“Well, you are assuming I need that, you are assuming that’s important to me, and it is not,” Patrick said in August 2023. “It’s always an interesting stance I have on it. I think that what makes the sport really popular is great racing – you can have half the field out there women and have it be follow the leader, and it’s not going to be interesting to watch.

“Good racing, and that is what we have now a lot of nowadays in Formula 1, I imply just about every little thing other than Max is a toss-up for who’s going to be second, third, fourth, fifth that weekend, and so that is what makes it actually interesting. And so I believe, as somebody who clearly was a woman, you’ve got simply bought to come up like regular.”

A month earlier, she had shared her reasoning while in conversation with an aspiring F1 driver. “I believe that the character of the game is masculine. It’s aggressive,” Patrick defined.

“You have to, you know, handle the car – not only just the car because that’s skill, but the mindset that it takes to be really good is something that’s not normal in a feminine mind, a female mind.”