Danica Patrick has had surgery just one day after making her return to television as part of Fox’s coverage of IndyCar’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
The Washington, D.C. street race unfolded with Donald Trump in the spotlight, as IndyCar staged the event around the capital during America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Trump waved the green flag and later watched from a suite overlooking the start-finish line while the drivers charged around the National Mall, having earlier led the field’s pace laps in his motorcade.
Patrick, the former IndyCar and NASCAR driver, appeared on Fox’s extensive pre-race broadcast, a segment that drew sharp criticism from some viewers who described her presence as “nauseating.”
The outspoken Trump and MAGA supporter disclosed the following day that she had undergone an operation on her right foot to address a lingering problem from a freak accident a year earlier, which had recently become worse.
“Just a casual Tuesday morning surgery to remove a chunk of glass from a year ago,” Patrick wrote, sharing an image of a small shard, about half a centimeter long, which she said came from a wine glass.
Danica Patrick had surgery on her foot to remove a small shard of glass from a wine glass
Patrick posted a picture from her hospital bed and explained that the old injury had recently worsened
She then shared a photo from her hospital bed, captioned: ‘The propofol wasn’t so bad’, before explaining how she had difficult walking after a recent trip to Europe.
Sharing a picture of her at Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix flaunting her high heels, she wrote: ‘I have no idea how I could walk in heels but I absolutely could not walk barefoot.
‘Doc said it was hitting my bone. Danced too hard in Ibiza a few weeks ago and it got more painful everyday.’
Patrick shared a political message on the Fox broadcast as she drew attention to Trump signing an executive order for the event.
Fox has since announced that 3.282 million viewers tuned in, the most viewed non-Indy 500 race since the series started in its current iteration in 2008. American Kyle Kirkwood won the race in dominant fashion.
Patrick said: ‘Between the vision of (FOX CEO) Eric Shanks and (Penske Corporation President) Bud Denker, with the help of, of course, Secretary [of Transportation Sean] Duffy and President Donald Trump with that executive order, I think it really embodies what it is to live in America, land of the free, and anything is possible.
‘That this race was gone from concept to reality as quickly as it was, and as well as it’s been done, I think that is the perfect embodiment and celebration of 250 years of this country.’
But many viewers did not appreciate having Patrick, who left Sky Sports’ Formula One coverage earlier this year after five years, back on television screens.
Patrick was back on TV screens on Fox’s IndyCar coverage for the first time since the Indy 500
Donald Trump took center stage at the event as he waved the green flag to start the race
‘To watch Danica Patrick and the whole Fox crew verbally felate [sic] Trump ,is nauseating,’ wrote one user on X.
Another said, ‘Of course @IndyCarOnFOX brings out the small guns (Chris Myers and Danica Patrick) today.’
‘Oh boy, that idiot Danica Patrick and the others are going to make this unwatchable,’ read one comment.
One user posted, ‘Nothing worse about an Indy Car broadcast than hearing Danica Patrick. So many more well accomplished, deserving drivers with higher accolades, and this is who they chose to fill in that slot.’
‘Danica Patrick on TV showing a lack of understanding about American history while she does a podcast where she discusses right wing conspiracy theories. Absolute f***ing clown and a joke on the international motorsports community,’ read another disapproving post.
‘I’m a girls girl and I hate Pat McAfee, but good lawd does Danica Patrick give that man a run for his money as worst sports commentator ever,’ read another negative criticism.
