Sky Sports F1 issue official statement after presenter makes shock exit

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Sky F1 issue official statement after presenter makes shock exit

She'll be missed!

Chris Deeley

Thursday 25 June 2026 18:44

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Sky Sports have issued a statement on the surprise departure of one of the most-liked members of their F1 coverage crew.

Presenter and reporter Rachel Brookes announced on social media on Wednesday that she has left Sky's F1 team for 'exciting new ventures' after more than a decade.

The F1 rightsholder and broadcasting giant has since put out a short statement both confirming the news and wishing its long-time employee the best for whatever comes next.

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A spokesperson for Sky told GPFans: "Rachel has moved on from the Sky Sports F1 team to take on new challenges as we evolve our coverage. Rachel has been an asset for the team and we wish her well in her new endeavours."

In a post on X, Brookes announced this week: "After many years at Sky I am moving on to exciting new ventures and looking forward to what comes next.

"I have left the Sky F1 team but F1 still has my heart and so I’ll still be involved in it. I’ll keep you posted, in the meantime see you at Silverstone!"

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Who is ex-Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes?

Brookes joined the Sky Sports F1 team in 2012 and became a prominent figure with the broadcaster over the years.

The British journalist previously hosted the F1 Show alongside axed pundit and former FIA steward Johnny Herbert.

She went on to present Sky Sports News before becoming a reporter who frequently attended the paddock on race weekends.

Alongside fellow presenter Natalie Pinkham and F1 correspondent for Sky Sports News, Craig Slater, Brookes took on the role of interviewing F1 drivers in the media pen both before and after races.

It was this role that thrust Brookes into the public eye and saw her receive heavy criticism on social media, particularly regarding an interview with four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen.

After Verstappen and F1 rival George Russell made contact at the 2025 Spanish GP, Brookes' fellow Sky pundit Rosberg suggested the Red Bull star had collided with the Mercedes driver on purpose.

When Brookes made the bold decision to ask Verstappen outright whether the move on Russell was intentional or not, the Dutchman became visibly annoyed and Brookes was sent a deluge of abuse on social media as a result.

She went on to describe the messages she received at the time as 'horrific', clarifying she had no personal issue with Verstappen.

Describing the experience, Brookes said: "The fans, and the social media side of it, was horrendous. I got people telling me I should never be allowed to have children because I’m a bad example. I got the most horrific stuff you could imagine."

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