Former Sky Sports Formula 1 reporter Rachel Brookes has stated that her decision to leave her role was planned and not a consequence of online fan abuse. Brookes, who had been with Sky Sports for 14 years, announced her departure in June, shortly before the Austrian Grand Prix.
Brookes, 51, described her exit as a planned move that allowed her to say farewell to colleagues and drivers. She shared a particularly supportive conversation with Lewis Hamilton, who offered his encouragement and a hug in the paddock. "He was, as you would imagine, really, really lovely, very supportive," Brookes said of her interaction with Hamilton. "I won't divulge everything that was said but it was caught by some photographers. There's a lovely photo at the end of it where he gives me a massive hug and he says 'I hope I see you back in the paddock soon,' which was really lovely."
She also recalled receiving a hug from Charles Leclerc and video messages from other drivers, emphasizing the familial atmosphere within the Formula 1 paddock. "The paddock is a family. It's an amazing place," Brookes noted. "I was quite overwhelmed by the response from everybody."
Brookes clarified that her departure was not linked to the "utterly horrendous" abuse she received from some fans following an interview with Max Verstappen during the previous season. "It was nothing to do with comments and abuse I got online last year at all," she insisted. "That was resolved very quickly, and I’ve got a great relationship with Max. So absolutely nothing to do with that."
The incident with Verstappen occurred after the Spanish Grand Prix last May. Verstappen had received a 10-second penalty for colliding with George Russell. During an interview, Brookes questioned Verstappen about the collision, asking, "Was it deliberate?". Verstappen responded, "Does it matter?". Brookes then replied, "Yeah, I think it does to the fans watching and to the kids. I want people to see how good you are, and you make it difficult when you do stuff like that."
Following this interview, Brookes faced severe online abuse, with some messages she described as "horrific." She stated that she received messages telling her she should never have children and was a bad example. Despite the intensity of the abuse, which led her to disable comments on her social media, Brookes maintained that it did not influence her decision to leave Sky Sports. She noted that many in sports broadcasting privately praised her for asking the question, with some colleagues admitting they would have been too afraid to do so. Verstappen, who had admitted a "mistake" post-race, ultimately dropped from fifth to tenth place in the Grand Prix standings.