Danica Patrick has revealed she decided to “move on” from Sky Sports F1 after five seasons covering Formula 1, stepping away following the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Sky Sports F1 announced its line-up for the F1 2026 season in the build-up to the Australian Grand Prix, and there was one notable absentee – Patrick.
Danica Patrick breaks silence after Sky F1 exit
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Patrick joined the broadcast team following her retirement from racing, which included stints in both IndyCar and NASCAR.
She was part of the channel’s line-up as a pundit for five seasons, primarily covering the North American rounds.
However, when Sky confirmed its 2026 line-up, Patrick was missing from the list.
The 43-year-old broke her silence over her exit on Instagram ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, revealing the decision to leave was hers.
“From my first Sky Sports F1 race in Austin to my last 5 years later… I had such a blast!” she wrote on Instagram.
“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!
“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!
“…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!”
Patrick reiterated this to The Associated Press, explaining that one of the reasons for her departure was her heavy workload.
“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.
“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. 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.”
Full Sky F1 2026 line-up
Experts & analysts: Martin Brundle, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Jacques Villeneuve, Naomi Schiff, Bernie Collins, Karun Chandhok, Jamie Chadwick and Anthony Davidson.
Presenters & reporters: Simon Lazenby, Natalie Pinkham, Ted Kravitz, Rachel Brookes and Craig Slater
Commentators: David Croft and Harry Benjamin
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