"There were some things about that first Indy 500 that could have been different”: When Danica Patrick made her feelings known about a 'tough' debut

Danica Patrick made the racing world sit up and take notice of her extraordinary talent on her debut at the Indy 500 in 2005. At just 23 years old, she nearly outclassed the entire male-dominated grid to record many firsts for a woman at the event. Nearly a decade later in 2016, she discussed her 'tough' debut and believed that she could've done some things differently in that race.

Patrick drove her No. 16 Argent Pioneer Panoz/Honda to near-perfection on qualifying day to start the race in fourth position - the highest qualifying spot for a woman at the Indy. If not for a wobble in the first corner, pole position wasn't out of reach. On race day, she gave the near-250,000 excited fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a story to tell to future generations.

The Rahal Letterman Racing driver led the race thrice and for a total of 19 laps, becoming the first woman to lead the "Greatest Spectacle of Racing." Her lap 190 pass on Dan Wheldon brought the crowd to its feet and raucous cheers consumed the IMS. Though Patrick eventually had to concede the lead to save fuel, she finished in fourth, the best finish for a woman at the Indy 500.

Despite such a tremendous achievement, the 2005 Indy 500 was the race she'd redo all over again, as she revealed in an interview with USA Today's Jeff Gluck in 2016. Patrick said:

"My first Indy 500 comes to mind a little bit, just because I don’t race Indy cars anymore and I don’t have any more chances. That was a tough one. There were some things about that first Indy 500 that could have been different – a little more fuel left than I thought. I probably would have just led no matter what (she gave up the lead with seven laps to go), even if it meant running out of fuel, as opposed to just finishing. I mean, I still finished fourth, but..."

The race wasn't straightforward. On lap 154, Danica Patrick spun out and damaged the front wing of her car. Fortunately, it wasn't race-ending damage and her team covered the error with quick repairs.

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Danica Patrick was "overwhelmed" by media attention during her debut Indy 500

Danica Patrick at the 2005 Bombardier Learjet 500K - Source: Getty

Danica Patrick's debut at the 89th Indy 500 wasn't as straightforward. She probably had as many eyeballs on her as race-winner Dan Wheldon. In 2015, four years after she left IndyCar for NASCAR, she spoke about how nerve-wracking the media side of things got in 2005.

"I was overwhelmed from a media perspective. I wasn’t used to that. It was just so sudden. But I remember being real calm and really grateful I was in a good position," she said (via IndyCar).

In 2018, Danica Patrick raced in her final Indy 500 before retiring from professional racing. That race with Ed Carpenter Racing was the polar opposite of her debut. She lost control of her No. 13 GoDaddy Chevrolet in Turn 2 of lap 68, spun, and crashed out.

She currently serves as an F1 analyst for Sky Sports, having wrapped up a successful 2024 at the Abu Dhabi GP in December.