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Long-Time Sports Reporter Quits After Abuse From Fans

Her departure follows revelations of the online abuse she endured over a post-race interview.

Sky Sports Formula 1 reporter Rachel Brookes, 51, is leaving the broadcaster after 14 years, weeks after opening up about the “horrific abuse” she received online following a controversial interview with driver Max Verstappen.

Brookes announced on X that she is leaving Sky U.K. ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, saying she is moving on to “exciting new ventures” while stressing that Formula 1 “still has my heart.”

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Her departure comes after she reflected on the online backlash she faced following the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, where she questioned Verstappen about his collision with George Russell.

Speaking on the Road to Success podcast, Brookes recalled the abusive messages she received after asking whether the contact had been deliberate. While fellow broadcasters praised the question, some of Verstappen’s supporters accused her of being biased against the Red Bull driver and flooded her social media accounts with hateful comments.

Brookes recalled receiving messages saying she should “never be able to have children” and described the abuse as “the most horrific stuff you could imagine.”

The veteran reporter joined Sky Sports in 2009 and became a reporter for its Formula 1 coverage after the broadcaster secured the sport’s U.K. rights in 2012. She has covered hundreds of races and interviewed many of the sport’s biggest stars over the past 14 years.

Although she is leaving Sky, Brookes said she will remain involved in Formula 1 and confirmed she will be at next week’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

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Tomas ThorBreaking News Intern

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