There was a time when “Danica Mania” completely took over the motorsports world. Back in 2008, Danica Patrick was changing the conversation around women in racing altogether. Her win in the Indy Japan 300 made her the first woman in history to win an IndyCar race. Now, nearly two decades later, Patrick is heading back to the Indianapolis 500 once again, only this time, not behind the wheel.
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After stepping away from full-time racing in 2018, Patrick slowly moved into broadcasting and became a familiar face in the motorsports coverage over the last few years. Even though her NASCAR run never matched the success of her Indycar, her connection to Indianapolis has also remained strong. And now, that connection is bringing her back to the Brickyard in another major role.
Fresh off showing off her new fitness transformation on Instagram earlier this week, Danica Patrick is now set to return to one of the biggest stages in motorsports. Alongside veteran host Chris Myers, Patrick will help lead FOX Sports’ coverage of the 2026 Indianapolis 500 qualifying weekend.
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The network’s live qualifying broadcast is scheduled to air from 4 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET on Saturday and from 4 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, with Patrick also expected to appear as part of the official Indy 500 pre-race coverage. That’s not it; she is going to be featured in a special one-hour documentary, which was announced by Fox Sports.
“At FOX Sports Films, we tell compelling stories that are rooted in sports culture, and the Indianapolis 500’s celebrated history is especially ripe with iconic moments and memories,” said Barry Nugent, vice president, development & original programming, FOX Sports.
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February 26, 2012 – Daytona Beach, Fla, USA – Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick (10) during driver introductions prior to the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb 26, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Fla. ..ZUMA PRESS/ 2012 Daytona 500 – ZUMAm63_
This comes just months after her departure from Sky Sports as one of the Formula 1 pundits on the broadcasts. She had been a part of the broadcast team since the 2021 season; however, when Sky announced their panel for this year, her name didn’t appear. Patrick later revealed that she had planned her exit from Sky Sports in an interview with AP.
“I called after the season last year and just said it was time for me to move on. I felt like I had taken in a great experience in F1 and was ready to have more time for other projects and interests.
As far as the announcement goes, it has been getting both hot and cold reactions. When one of the most recognizable names in the industry, public opinion hardly stays in one line. On one hand, there are viral online polls that label her among the “most disliked” figures in racing. On the other side, supporters see her as a natural fit for the Indy 500 stage. They point to her IndyCar background, where she broke barriers as the 2005 Rookie of the Year and collected six top-10 finishes at Indianapolis, arguing that very few analysts bring that kind of firsthand experience. But not everyone is devoid of any skepticism.
Some fans believe FOX could have leaned toward more recent IndyCar names like Juan Pablo Montoya, J.R. Hildebrand, or Sam Hornish Jr. instead. Meanwhile she’s now focusing her attention towards IndyCar and the Indy 500 experience. However, her polarizing personality seems to have irked a few fans, who were quick to push back on this move by the broadcaster.
Fans react to Patrick’s Indy 500 return
“I envy the deaf,” a fan wrote. It can be a little tricky to understand the general criticism that surrounds Patrick. Her stint in NASCAR was filled with a lot of racing incidents, which set a certain tone for her amongst some fans. While it has been years since she changed lanes, some of her claims in the broadcasting industry haven’t been very strong. So understandably, not all fans were happy with the revelation. But there are a few other reasons as well.
“Let’s not pretend Fox wasn’t going to muck up the broadcast some other way already.” FOX Sports doesn’t have the best reputation amongst the fans. In NASCAR, especially, they’ve been targeted for their poor coverage of the race. Recently, too, they missed showing Cody Ware’s crash during the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen. This turned into massive criticism, and it’s not surprising to see that the decision to sign Patrick also had the same fate.
“She’s attempting to make the Indy 500 appealing to lizard people.” In 2024, Patrick had Elizabeth April as a guest on her Pretty Intense podcast. One of the discussions the duo had was of possible ‘shapeshifters,’ where April claimed that noted pop star Justin Bieber was going to shapeshift into a giant reptilian on the stage during one of his live performances.
Understandably, this was met with laughs and criticism amongst the fans, and the ‘lizard people’ theory has stuck alongside Danica Patrick ever since. Even though she didn’t personally make those comments, she appeared quite invested in the conversation. Another comment revolved around a similar context, reading: “She’s doing a pit stop at a “psych*d*li*s conference” on her way to Indy, so that’s probably going to be her new thing lol.”
“All the better for attending live!” A fan wrote. The attendance at the Indianapolis 500 can sometimes reach up to 500,000 fans on the grandstands and around the historical track. While Danica Patrick might do a great job as a member of the FOX booth for the broadcast, the criticism that follows her has been built over the years at this point, and it can be a little difficult to shake it off.
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Yeswanth Praveen