Sky Sports activities has confirmed its broadcast group for the 2026 Formulation 1 season, and the absence of former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick has been picked up by followers.Â
Becoming a member of lead commentator David Croft shall be Simon Lazenby, Natalie Pinkham, Ted Kravitz, Rachel Brookes and Craig Slater as presenters and reporters.
Martin Brundle, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Jacques Villeneuve, Naomi Schiff, Bernie Collins, Karun Chandhok, Jamie Chadwick and Anthony Davidson have been confirmed as consultants and analysts. Harry Benjamin may also proceed to face in for Croft at a handful of races.Â
Patrick had beforehand joined the published group, primarily for the races in the USA and the Canadian Grand Prix. However after typically dividing fan opinion, she is noticeably absent from the broadcaster’s on-screen line-up.
Why has Danica Patrick divided opinion?
Apart from her public political beliefs and the controversial subjects she discusses on her Fairly Intense podcast, Patrick upset loads of followers after she informed a younger feminine fan, who dreamed of becoming a member of F1 in some capability, that the championship is “masculine”.
“I feel that the character of the game is masculine. It is aggressive,” she stated on the time, reside on Sky Sports activities F1. “You need to, you understand, deal with the automotive – not solely simply the automotive as a result of that is talent, however the mindset that it takes to be actually good is one thing that is not regular in a female thoughts, a feminine thoughts.”
Danica Patrick, Sky F1
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos
Patrick was additionally requested on a separate event for her ideas on the significance of the W Collection, the F1 Academy and the objective of introducing a feminine driver to F1.Â
“Nicely, you are assuming I would like that, you are assuming that’s vital to me, and it is not,” she stated.
“It is at all times an fascinating stance I’ve on it. I feel that what makes the game actually common is nice racing – you may have half the sector on the market ladies and have or not it’s observe the chief, and it is not going to be fascinating to observe.
“Good racing, and that is what we’ve a lot of nowadays in Formulation 1, I imply just about every little thing aside from 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 feel, as somebody who clearly was a woman, you have simply acquired to return up like regular.”
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