F1 News: Rachel Brookes opens up on abuse after Max Verstappen interview before Sky Sports exit

Verstappen looking uneasy on the right-hand side of image with circular inset image of Brookes with her head down holding Sky Sports mic — Photo: © IMAGO

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Rachel Brookes opens up on abuse after Max Verstappen interview before Sky Sports F1 exit

Brookes announced her immediate exit from the Sky Sports F1 team in June 2026

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 3 August 2026 10:57

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Ex-Sky Sports F1 reporter Rachel Brookes has set the record straight over whether four-time champion Max Verstappen played a role in her recent exit from the British broadcaster.

The Dutchman is known for giving honest yet sometimes brutal responses in the media pen during an F1 race weekend, with one interaction in particular getting rather tense at last year's Spanish Grand Prix.

Following an on-track battle between Verstappen and George Russell in Barcelona last year, 2016 champion and Sky F1 pundit Nico Rosberg suggested the Red Bull star had purposely collided with the Mercedes driver.

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Brookes then headed to the media pen armed with this input from Rosberg, bravely putting the idea to Verstappen by asking him outright whether his crash with Russell that earned him a 10-second penalty was intentional or not.

The now 28-year-old instantly shifted to a defensive demeanor when responding: "Does it matter? Ok, that's great. I prefer to speak about the race than one single moment."

When Brookes then suggested that Verstappen's intentions did matter, especially to young children watching at home, the interview ended abruptly and opened a can of worms that led to the Sky Sports reporter receiving a barrage of horrific online abuse over her line of questioning that went way beyond the level of acceptable criticism.

Did Rachel Brookes leave Sky Sports because of Max Verstappen?

After playing a pivotal role in the Sky Sports F1 weekend output for 14 years, Brookes shocked the paddock by announcing her immediate exit just days before this year's Austrian GP.

The reporter and author took to social media to share that she would not be returning with Sky at the Red Bull Ring or any further races on the 2026 calendar, highlighting that she was excited to start a new chapter in her career.

At the time of her announcement, 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."

As the 2026 F1 championship now enjoys the annual summer shutdown, Brookes has broken her silence over her Sky Sports exit, clarifying that her history with Verstappen played no part in her departure.

Speaking on the Essential F1 podcast, Brookes touched on the delightful farewell many of the drivers gave her, touching on her relationship with Verstappen.

Discussing what the drivers made of her Sky Sports exit, Brookes joked: "I think there's a few who are breathing a sigh of relief, but to a person, they've been amazing. Let's just make that really clear.”

She then clarified that her departure was not linked to the online abuse she was victim to last year following the tough interview with Verstappen, saying: “It was nothing to do with comments and abuse I got online last year at all.

“That was resolved very quickly and I've got a great relationship with Max. So, no, absolutely nothing to do with that.

"I know a lot of people thought that and there were some articles written that's not the case. Absolutely not the case at all.”

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