Danica Patrick has revealed she decided to \u201cmove on\u201d from Sky Sports F1 after five seasons covering Formula 1, stepping away following the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
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 \u2013 Patrick.<\/p>\n
Danica Patrick breaks silence after Sky F1 exit<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Patrick joined the broadcast team following her retirement from racing, which included stints in both IndyCar and NASCAR.<\/p>\n She was part of the channel\u2019s line-up as a pundit for five seasons, primarily covering the North American rounds.<\/p>\n However, when Sky confirmed its 2026 line-up<\/a>, Patrick was missing from the list.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom my first Sky Sports F1 race in Austin to my last 5 years later\u2026 I had such a blast!\u201d she wrote on Instagram. <\/p>\n \u201cThe 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!<\/p>\n \u201cI 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!<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026and 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!\u201d<\/p>\n Patrick reiterated this to The Associated Press, explaining that one of the reasons for her departure was her heavy workload.<\/p>\n \u201cI called after the season last year and just said it was time for me to move on,\u201d she told AP. \u201cI felt like I had taken in a great experience in F1 and was ready to have more time for other projects and interests.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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 \u2013 more than being a driver in many ways during a race weekend \u2014 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Full Sky F1 2026 line-up<\/p>\n Experts & analysts: Martin Brundle, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Jacques Villeneuve, Naomi Schiff, Bernie Collins,\u202fKarun Chandhok,\u202f Jamie Chadwick\u202fand Anthony Davidson.<\/p>\n Presenters & reporters: Simon Lazenby, Natalie Pinkham, Ted Kravitz, Rachel\u202fBrookes and Craig Slater<\/p>\n Commentators:\u202fDavid Croft\u202fand\u202fHarry Benjamin<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n