“My life changes in ways I didn’t expect”: When Danica Patrick made a crystal clear case about her IndyCar future

Former IndyCar star Danica Patrick once reflected on her life after racing. Patrick retired from all motorsport competitions in 2018.

Patrick stands as one of the most prominent figures in women's motorsports. Her journey began early with karting, and the Beloit, Wisconsin native went on to achieve legendary status, leaving an indelible mark on racing history.

Till date, Patrick remains the only female driver to have won a race in American open-wheel top flight, the IndyCar Series. She is also the first and only driver to have secured a pole position in a NASCAR Cup race. A former IndyCar Rookie of the Year, Patrick remained one of the most popular racing figures while she was on the race track.

When she retired in 2018, there was a lot of speculation surrounding her future. Fans contemplated whether the 2008 Indy Japan 300 winner would continue appearing in non-racing roles or if she would part ways with the motorsports world all together.

Patrick herself answered this question during an interview with The New York Times back in 2018. Ahead of the final race of her career, the 2018 Indianapolis 500, the then-37-year-old revealed:

"I’m sure I’ll be around racetracks, but how often, I don’t know. I really don’t. At this point in time, there really isn’t a plan for that, but I really didn’t plan for this all that long ago, either. So, as I always say to people, my life changes in ways I didn’t expect every couple of years. Who knows where I’ll be in a couple of years?"

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What does Danica Patrick's career look like post retirement?

Ever since her retirement in 2018, Danica Patrick has gone on to establish herself as a prominent media personality. She has become a staple for Sky Sports' Formula 1 broadcasting team, regularly appearing in the pre and post-race shows as a pundit.

Beyond F1, Patrick has also made appearances as a pundit for NBC Sports' IndyCar broadcasting team. She was a studio data analyst for the Indy 500 every year since 2019 up until NBC's tenure with IndyCar ended in 2024.

Patrick was also a play-by-play commentator in certain NASCAR races and in CBS Sports' 2021 broadcast of the Tony Stewart-owned Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) Series. Beyond her duties as a commentator and analyst, the 42-year-old has also made appearances on OTT shows such as Netflix's Drive To Survive and her personal project, the Pretty Intense podcast.

Patrick also remains an active social media influencer. She has amassed over 960k followers on her Instagram handle at the time of writing. She makes active appearances on certain podcasts and talk shows, clips of which are uploaded on her social media handles. Patrick is also a business owner, having launched projects like her line of scented candles and her own wine brand, Somnium.