In conversation with Sky F1's Natalie Pinkham: Addressing rumours and revealing what Daniel Ricciardo needs for coveted comeback

Press photo sent from Sky — Photo: © Image courtesy of Sky Sports F1

GPFans Exclusive

In conversation with Natalie Pinkham: Addressing F1 rumours and revealing what Ricciardo needs for coveted comeback

Natalie Pinkham has been a valued presenter with Sky F1 since 2012

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 7 March 2025 12:57 Updated: 11:12

Formula 1 presenter Natalie Pinkham has been a key factor of Sky Sports' coverage since 2012, having seen drivers come and go and witnessed the crowning of two new champions.

Ahead of the 2025 season opener next weekend, GPFans sat down with the Sky F1 star to discuss Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton and the biggest issues facing the modern iteration of the sport.

Sky Sports is the exclusive home of Formula 1 in the UK & Ireland. Don't miss the start of the 2025 World Championship live from Melbourne, Australia, March 14-16th, only on Sky Sports and NOW.

Article continues under video

F1 HEADLINES: Red Bull facing demotion as major testing problem emerges

Since joining Sky, the experienced sports presenter has seen Red Bull go through two periods of domination in the constructors' standings, with two modern icons of the sport excelling in the drivers' championship- Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Sandwiched between the success of Christian Horner's outfit however is the rise of Lewis Hamilton and the record-breaking eight consecutive constructors' titles he helped bring to his former Mercedes team.

The biggest storyline in the sport right now is Hamilton's switch to Ferrari, so what does Pinkham think could be in store for the seven-time champion and the many rookie drivers who are joining him on the grid for this campaign?

Lewis Hamilton will make his competitive debut with Ferrari next weekend at the Australian GP

There are lots of fresh faces joining the F1 grid for 2025

What does 2025 hold for Hamilton?

Pinkham has seen the F1 legend race in the pinnacle of motorsport for 11 seasons, but ahead of his 12th, Hamilton will be hoping the change of environment can boost his chances of returning to the top of the order this year.

Discussing how Hamilton appears ahead of his competitive debut with Ferrari, Pinkham told GPFans: "Very natural, he seems immediately at home there not just culturally and in terms of stepping into this iconic brand and family but also in terms of the car.

"I feel like it already feels a better fit for him, this iteration of car, than the Mercedes. He's made no secret of the fact he had to grapple with last year's Mercedes."

"Time will tell, his performance in Australia will be key but I also think that he's really hit the ground running with them and it just feels like the right fit," she added.

"He's obviously had a year to think about it, well I think he’s had his whole life to think about it but the public have had a year to accept and understand that process so by the time he left Mercedes and went to Ferrari.

"I felt like ok finally, we’re going to see him in red and it just looked and felt right didn't it."

"It would be stranger had he never gone there."

This is a sentiment felt by many, that Hamilton was meant to follow in the footsteps of the legends before him who also drove for the Italian motorsport giant, the most notable of all names being Michael Schumacher, whose championship record Hamilton could be chasing if the Scuderia provide him with a championship contending car.

But what about Hamilton's replacement at the Silver Arrows? Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli was the chosen one to step up and fill the seat of the seven-time champion, although many are already questioning if the 18-year-old can handle the pressure.

The same question is being asked about the many other rookies entering the sport this year, including Australian racer Jack Doohan, who Pinkham believes will get on just fine thanks to the racing mentality instilled in him by his father, Mick Doohan, who achieved championship success on two wheels.

On Antonelli, Pinkham believes that for now, all the talk is exactly that, just talk.

"We’ve got to let Antonelli race, I think it might be too much on a young man's shoulders to put any other pressures on him, he's got enough of that," she declared.

Jack Doohan is the son of five-time 500cc motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan

Diversity- how it's changed and where there's room to grow

When Pinkham began as a presenter with Sky F1, grid girls were still a huge part of race weekend operations, but she recalls how one of her first impressions of the paddock was the lack of women.

In contrast, the British TV star will be joined once again on Sky this season by Naomi Schiff, Bernie Collins, Rachel Brookes and at some races, Danica Patrick, whilst elsewhere in the garage, Laura Mueller will be starting as F1's first female race engineer. But progress is still necessary for the sport to widen its net of inclusivity.

One of the most important issues facing the sport now is how the paddock will fare once Hamilton has retired. As the only black F1 driver in history, he has been instrumental in pushing for more women in F1 and better opportunities for drivers from a variety of backgrounds.

Discussing the future, Pinkham admitted: "I think that Formula 1 never rests on it’s laurels, it's a very progressive sport it never sits still and that's what I love about it, no one can have the time to become complacent."

"I think that it’s unlikely there'll be another Lewis."

"It's definitely something I’ve thought about a lot because ultimately Lewis will want to hang up his race suit at some point soon, but hopefully not yet, he’s still got a few more years in him."

So... will Daniel Ricciardo return to F1?

Finally, we touched on the topic of fan-favourite Ricciardo, who, after being dropped prematurely from the sport last season, has fans eagerly awaiting his next move.

Pinkham has spoken openly about her kinship to the Aussie star and how their entry to the sport at the same time led to a great friendship, with Ricciardo even putting in so much effort with her family outside of F1 that she made him Godfather to her son.

Natalie Pinkham and Daniel Ricciardo joined the sport at the same time, forming a great friendship

When posed the question over whether the 35-year-old could or should return to motorsport, Pinkham said: "I think only Daniel can answer that, I think we need to just give him a bit of time to have the space to consider his options but whatever he turns his hand to he'll bring joy to it and joy to those that follow him."

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

View full biography

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Daniel Ricciardo Sky Sports Natalie Pinkham