NASCAR legend Danica Patrick speaks out after missing Sky Sports F1 broadcast team for 2026 season following five year run

Danica Patrick surprised many Formula 1 fans this week. When Sky Sports released its broadcast team for the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, her name was missing. Soon after, the former NASCAR and IndyCar star spoke openly about why she stepped away. Patrick, who worked as a commentator and analyst for Sky Sports F1 for five years, said the decision was actually hers. She explained that after the final race of the 2025 season, she felt it was the right time to move on.The 44 year old shared the update on Instagram and thanked the team for the experience. Her message quickly spread among racing fans who had become used to seeing her on Sky’s coverage during big Formula 1 weekends. Patrick joined the Sky Sports F1 team in 2021 and quickly became a familiar face on the broadcast. Now, as the 2026 season begins with the Australian Grand Prix, she says she will watch the races from home just like millions of other fans around the world.Danica Patrick made it clear that her exit from Sky Sports was not sudden or unexpected. According to her Instagram post, she personally decided to step away after the 2025 Formula 1 season ended.She wrote, “From my first @skysportsf1 race in Austin to my last 5 years later… I had such a blast!”Patrick also thanked the broadcasting team for making the experience special.She wrote, “The sky team was so much fun (thank you all), I saw so many amazing new race tracks and cities, and got to be part of a huge boom in F1!”The former racing driver explained that she spoke to the team right after the last race of the 2025 season and told them she wanted to move on.Patrick wrote, “I called after the last race in 2025 and said it was time for me to move on and I was so grateful for the opportunity and experience I was given!”Even though she is no longer part of the broadcast team, Patrick said she will still follow the sport closely.She added, “And now due to my deep exposure to F1, I will be glued to my tv for the season starting this weekend, like every other fan!”Questions about her absence started when Sky Sports shared their plans for the 2026 season ahead of the first race in Australia. Fans quickly noticed that Patrick was not included in the lineup.Patrick had joined the coverage in 2021 and many viewers welcomed her insight because of her long racing career.She is widely seen as one of the most successful female drivers in motorsport history. In 2008, she made history by becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race at the Indy Japan 300.Later, when she moved to NASCAR in 2010, she also became the first woman to win a pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series.With Patrick leaving the broadcast team, Sky Sports will welcome back Naomi Schiff, who returns after maternity leave. Longtime presenter Natalie Pinkham will also be back on screen after taking time away following neck surgery.For now, Patrick is expected to focus on other opportunities after ending her five year role with Sky Sports’ Formula 1 coverage.