Here’s what Lewis Hamilton said to Rachel Brookes when she shared she was leaving Sky F1.
Former Sky F1 presenter Rachel Brookes recently shared what Lewis Hamilton said to her when she told him she was leaving her role just before the Austrian Grand Prix.
Rachel started working with Sky as a freelancer in 2009 and became a key part of their F1 coverage, doing interviews with drivers right at the track. Even though she was well-liked in the paddock, the 51-year-old announced she was moving on from Sky before the Austrian Grand Prix. She shared a message on social media saying, “After many years at Sky, I’m moving on to exciting new adventures and can’t wait to see what’s next. I’ve left the Sky F1 team, but F1 will always be close to my heart, so I’ll still be involved. I’ll keep you updated.”
Her announcement surprised fans, and Sky Sports later wished her well in her “new endeavours,” but didn’t explain why she left. There were rumors that part of her decision came after she received online abuse following a tense moment with Max Verstappen at last year’s Spanish Grand Prix.
After asking Verstappen if he had purposely made contact with George Russell during the race—after Verstappen got a 10-second penalty—he replied, “Does it matter?” Speaking on the Road to Success podcast in early 2026, Rachel talked about the “horrific” online abuse she faced after that race. She said, “The social media side was awful. People told me I shouldn’t be allowed to have kids because I’m a bad example. It was some of the worst things you can imagine.”
But before the Hungarian Grand Prix, she made it clear that this abuse wasn’t why she left Sky. “It had nothing to do with the comments or abuse online,” she said. “That was sorted quickly, and I have a great relationship with Max. So, no, that’s not why I left. I know people thought that and some articles were written, but it’s absolutely not true.”
Now, on the Essential F1 podcast, Rachel shared what happened when she told Lewis Hamilton she was leaving. “I left Sky, and it did seem very sudden. I had the chance to say goodbye to people I’ve worked with—the teams, drivers—and I even got to say goodbye to Lewis. We had a lovely chat, and he was super kind and supportive. I can’t share everything, but some photographers caught a great moment of him giving me a big hug, saying, ‘I hope I see you back in the paddock soon.’ He was really wonderful.”
F1 returns next month, with the Dutch Grand Prix set for August 23.