Sky Sports responds after F1 broadcaster surprises everyone by leaving before the Austrian GP
Sky Sports has shared a statement after it was confirmed that long-time presenter Rachel Brookes left the Sky F1 team just before the Austrian Grand Prix.
Brookes announced the news on her social media on June 24, saying she had left the Sky F1 team but would still stay connected to the sport she loves.
According to her LinkedIn, Brookes started at Sky in 2009 as a freelance reporter and worked her way up. By 2011, she became a full-time broadcast journalist and became well-known for her interviews with top F1 drivers before and after races.
Her departure surprised many, especially since the Austrian Grand Prix was happening on June 28.
In her statement, Brookes said, “After many years at Sky, I’m moving on to new and exciting opportunities and can’t wait to see what’s next. I’ve left the Sky F1 team, but F1 will always have my heart, so I’ll still be involved. I’ll keep you updated—see you at Silverstone!”
The exact reason for her quick exit hasn’t been shared publicly yet.
However, her leaving came after she spoke about the abuse she got after interviewing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. After the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, she asked Verstappen—who had received a 10-second penalty—if he had meant to make contact with George Russell during the race. He responded, “Does it matter?”
On the Road to Success podcast, she talked about how awful the abuse was afterwards. She said, “…No one else in the press asked him that question that day—and even my colleagues said they wouldn’t have asked because they were too scared. But the fans on social media were terrible. People told me I shouldn’t be allowed to have children because I’m a bad example. The things I heard were horrible. And many came from accounts that seemed like they belonged to dads with kids, which was shocking. I just thought, ‘Take a step back. It’s just a Formula 1 race. It’s sport.’”
Then, on June 26, Sky Sports released this about Brookes leaving: “Rachel has moved on from the Sky Sports F1 team to take on new challenges as we update our coverage. Rachel has been a great part of the team, and we wish her all the best in her new path.”