"Someone who could uproot their life" - When Danica Patrick frankly spoke about American drivers dreaming of F1 career

Back in 2021, Danica Patrick shared what she believed would be the requirements for an American driver to make it in F1. The former IndyCar driver said that it would have to be someone who really wants to succeed and is willing to uproot their life in America to go and live in Europe.

Patrick began her motorsports career in Junior Formula categories such as Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford after she moved to the United Kingdom at the age of just 16. After spending three years in England, Patrick returned to America.

Speaking to Autoweek in 2021, the former Andretti driver was asked what it would take for an American driver to make it to F1 and be successful there. Patrick claimed that it would be an easy deal to do because of the F1 docu-series Drive to Survive's popularity in America. She claimed that a team would likely not mind an American driver joining its roster.

However, she also mentioned the sacrifices the driver would have to make and the desire they would need to have to succeed. Patrick said:

"It would probably be someone young, someone who could uproot their life, someone who is confident, somebody who wants it. Somebody who wants to race Formula 1. I don’t know if that has always been the case." [via Autoweek]

"I know here in the states a lot of drivers want to race NASCAR, they want to race IndyCar, but I don’t know of that many who say I really want to race Formula 1, my real dream is racing F1." she added.

Logan Sargeant joined the F1 grid in 2023 with Williams Racing, becoming the first American to drive in F1 since Alexander Rossi in 2015. His stay with the British team was not as fruitful as he had hoped though, as he struggled to find form and was eventually replaced mid-way through the 2024 season.

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"Total game-changer" - When Danica Patrick talked about Drive to Survive's impact in America

Danica Patrick at Celebrities Visit Build, New York. 2019 - Source: Getty

Danica Patrick explained how Netflix's Drive to Survive gives an insight into the world of motorsports for fans who cannot try the sport out. She mentioned that it gives them all the information about the inner workings of the sport.

In the same interview with Autoweek in 2021, the American mentioned that since the average person does not try out motorsports like other sports such as basketball or football, they do not have an understanding of the sport. She believes Drive to Survive has provided that and has hence been a game changer for the sport. She said:

“I think the Netflix series has really opened people’s eyes to the controversies, the politics, the rivalries, the difficulties and the high-level execution these teams go through—it’s just not a sport people try," [via Autoweek]

"You might try to play basketball, or try to throw a football or kick a soccer ball, but you don’t just try to race. It’s such a blank slate for people and that’s such a great way for them to have an insight into our sport," Danica Patrick added.

Danica Patrick later herself appeared in season six of Drive to Survive as a pundit, analyzing the 2023 season.