Patrick Defends Win-Less Record

The female rookie hit the headlines after finishing fourth in her first Indianapolis 500 last May, rivalling winner Dan Wheldon for media exposure. She has been on the front cover of Sports Illustrated and Racer magazine. 

However, she has yet to make the podium in her eight starts in the series.

Patrick said: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. By all means there's nothing that I want to do any more than win, I promise you that. But I think for people to draw such conclusions that I have to win is absurd.

"Hey, it's my first year. I'm learning a lot. Every track I go to is a new track. Everybody has a certain learning curve. Everybody has a certain amount they have to digest and become comfortable and current and have good instincts for everything.

"I'm learning so many of those things. I can understand how this sort of thing happens. When you get so much attention and everything, people seem to think this is what you have to do.

"That you have to win. I don't go out there and say, 'Put me in as many newspapers and magazines as you can.' It's just what happened.

"I don't feel any more responsibility or any more obligation to do better because of it. My desire to be successful and to win has been the same forever. Just because there's more things written, I don't feel like it's justified in having to do better.

"I understand that sometimes there's going to be a downfall. Sometimes there's going to be a bit of backlash or something. I understand there's going to be some backtracking at some point. There has to be. Not everybody wins every race.

"I don't feel like I'm rushing. I'm also a competitor and I always want to win. I always want to do better. You walk that fine line of self-destruction if you expect to win every single time or if you have to every time."