Danny Watts Coming Out Anatomy Of A Bombshell

A huge weight has been lifted from the ex-driver’s shoulders. But his story is about more than just one man reaching out for acceptance.

- Matt Beer

It’s approaching lunchtime on Monday, February 20. Recently retired British racing driver Danny Watts has been “physically ill all morning with dread, stress, worry and anxiety”. After a quick exchange of messages with Autosport to confirm he’s still on for a 1pm announcement, he puts his phone out of sight and awaits the world’s reaction.

Before last Monday, Watts’s career story had been on the very respectable side of standard. Formula First and Formula Renault UK titles, British Formula 3 wins and A1GP podiums. A predominantly Strakka-based sportscar stint, headlined by LMP2 Le Mans 24 Hours success. A switch from racing to driver coaching after passing his mid-thirties. A great set of achievements for a driver who began with little money behind him, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

Then when the clock hit 1pm that afternoon, via articles on Autosport, other motorsport websites, blogs, Gay Times and Huffington Post, Watts became the highest-profile European racing driver so far to come out as gay.

Listening to Watts before the announcement was harrowing. Particular tormented phrases came up again and again: “it grinds you down”, “it wears you down”, a viscerally frustrated “arrggh” noise when language ran out of capacity to describe quite how bad he was feeling. He feared coming out might lose him the driver-coaching work he loves, or at least cost him respect from those he tutored. He feared awkwardness in paddocks, people declining to shake his hand or look him in the eye.