Longtime Formula One reporter Rachel Brookes has announced she is stepping away from her role at Sky Sports after 14 years with the broadcaster.
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Brookes revealed her decision just days before the Austrian Grand Prix.
While she did not publicly explain the reason for her departure, the announcement came shortly after she spoke about receiving "horrific abuse" online following an interview with four-time world champion Max Verstappen last year.
F1 Reporter Quits After 14 Years at Sky Sports
Brookes interviewed Verstappen after his controversial collision with Mercedes driver George Russell at the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver received a 10-second penalty for the incident and later admitted he "made a mistake."
During the interview, Brookes asked Verstappen whether the contact with Russell had been intentional after one broadcaster suggested it may have been deliberate.
Verstappen declined to answer directly, instead asking whether it really mattered.
Speaking on the Road to Success podcast, Brookes said many people within the broadcasting industry praised her for asking a question others may have been reluctant to raise.
However, she said the reaction on social media was very different.
"But then the fans, the social media side of it, was horrendous," Brookes said. "I got people telling me I should never be able to have children because I'm a bad example. I got the most horrific stuff you could imagine."
"And this is from a lot of these profiles with dads with kids with daughters and things like that, where you just look at it and think: 'Take a step back. It's a Formula 1 race. It's a sport.'"
Brookes Says She Will Remain Involved in Formula One
Brookes joined Sky in 2009 before becoming part of its Formula One coverage when the broadcaster secured the UK's F1 television rights in 2012.
Over the years, she became one of the sport's most recognizable reporters, regularly interviewing drivers in the media pen and covering Grand Prix events around the world.
Although she is leaving Sky Sports, Brookes said she still plans to remain "involved" in Formula One.
In her social media announcement, she also confirmed she will be attending next week's British Grand Prix.
With the Formula One season entering a crucial stage, Brookes' departure marks the end of a long chapter in the sport's television coverage, while she prepares for the next step in her broadcasting career.
