Who is Danica Patrick facing F1 backlash after her Drive to Survive debut?

Among the accomplished figures in the world of racing cars, the name Danica Patrick stands out prominently. At 41 years old, she holds the distinction of being one of the most successful women in the history of open-wheel racing.

Despite her achievements, Danica has recently found herself drowning in a plethora of negative comments and backlash from the Formula One community, which originated from her subtle appearance on the American documentary series.

Danica Patrick: Who is she?

In her early life, Danica Patrick belonged to a middle-class family and began karting at 10 years old. At 16, she left high school after achieving national success in go-karts and went to Vauxhalls in the United Kingdom to race Formula Fords.

Later on, the American driver returned to the United States in 2002, after she signed her first U.S. Indy Car racing contract with Indy driver Bobby Rahal. Even so, she was gradually promoted to Toyota Formula Atlantic open-wheel cars. Despite not securing a victory in that series, she secured a third-place finish in the overall drivers’ ranking in 2004. This provided her an opportunity to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, where she was set to achieve relentless success and flourishing achievements.

Fast forward to 2010, when Patrick took part in a partial season in NASCAR’s lower-tier Nationwide Series. By August 2011, she had transferred full-time to NASCAR and participated in both Nationwide and Sprint Cup races. She made history by securing the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500 and becoming the first woman to start a Sprint Cup race from the pole. Additionally, she also had a remarkable accomplishment by being the first woman to lead a lap race in the Daytona 500 and finishing in eighth place.

Apart from her professional life, the American got into a lifelong bond by marrying  Paul Edward Hospenthal, whom she met in 2002 for physical therapy while she was recovering from a hip injury from a yoga session.

Why is Danica Patrick facing backlash from F1 community?

Formula One fans are enraged at Patrick’s appearance in the famous Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” which originally portrays all the hardships faced on and off tracks by each driver in the Formula One industry.

In the first two episodes, there were subtle scenes of Patrick being an expert, due to her heightened fame for being a NASCAR driver as well as an Indy Car driver. However, fans have been furious due to the lack of enough screen time for their favourite driver, for which the American is partially responsible due to her additional screen time.

F1 enthusiasts throughout the world have gathered online with hateful comments such as the following:

@Condetesmorts3 said, “She was an Indy car pilot; she has nothing to do with #formula1 and, let’s be honest, her interventions ARE NOT INTERESTING AT all.”

Jacqueline wrote, “There are so many talented, knowledgeable, and passionate people who cover this sport who would be fantastic additions.”

What are your opinions on Patrick’s driving career? Tell us about your opinions in the comment section below.