Sky Sports F1 is heading to the Austrian Grand Prix without one of its most familiar paddock faces, after Rachel Brookes confirmed she’s left the broadcaster following more than a decade on its F1 coverage.
Brookes broke the news on social media on Wednesday, striking an upbeat tone about what comes next while making it clear she’s not disappearing from the championship entirely. She also signposted a near-term return: she’s planning to be at Silverstone for next month’s British Grand Prix.
“After many years at Sky I am moving on to exciting new ventures and looking forward to what comes next,” Brookes wrote. “I have left the Sky F1 team but F1 still has my heart & so I’ll still be involved in it. I’ll keep you posted, in the meantime see you at Silverstone!”
In a paddock where faces change more slowly than liveries, departures like this land with a thud. Sky’s broadcast has long leaned on continuity — voices and reporters that viewers don’t just recognise, they trust — and Brookes has been a key part of that. Her exit prompted an immediate wave of support from across the broadcast world and beyond, with her posts drawing heavy engagement as fans and colleagues reacted.
David Croft, Sky’s lead commentator since the network took over live F1 rights in 2012, was among the first to publicly acknowledge it. “Good luck for the future Rach, we’re gonna miss ya xxx,” he wrote in response.
Lead presenter Simon Lazenby echoed the sentiment: “We will miss you Rach xxx”.
Karun Chandhok added: “Will miss you on tour Raquel.” Harry Benjamin, who has periodically stepped into the commentary box, told her: “Good luck Rach, see you in paddock soon.” Mara Sangiorgio, part of the Sky F1 Italy team, also wished her well, saying it had been “a pleasure” working together.
Even outside the broadcast bubble, Brookes’ announcement cut through. Kelly Piquet — partner of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — weighed in with: “You’ve been amazing Rach! And will be very missed.”
That wider show of support comes against a backdrop Brookes has spoken about recently: the increasingly ugly edge that can follow modern F1 coverage, particularly when interviews collide with tribal fanbases. Just days ago, she described the abuse she received after a tense exchange with Verstappen at last year’s Spanish Grand Prix — an incident that saw her disable comments on Instagram after backlash to a question about whether Verstappen’s collision with George Russell had been deliberate.
It’s a reminder, too, of the tightrope faced by reporters operating in today’s paddock: ask the sharp question and you’re “baiting”; don’t ask and you’re accused of going soft. The job hasn’t changed in its essentials, but the volume around it certainly has — and it’s often the people doing the unglamorous, face-to-camera work in the pen who absorb the worst of it.
Sky hasn’t detailed the nature of Brookes’ departure, and Brookes herself framed it simply as moving on. What’s clear is that she doesn’t intend to sever ties with the sport. In F1, “new ventures” can mean anything from team-side communications to rights-holder work, digital content, or a rival broadcaster, and Brookes’ promise to “keep you posted” suggests the next move is already in motion.
For Sky, the immediate question is less about replacing a job title and more about replacing a presence. F1 broadcasting is built on relationships — with drivers, press officers, team principals — and the best pitlane reporters aren’t just good live; they’re plugged in, trusted, and persistent. Brookes was part of that fabric, and her absence will be felt the first time a familiar post-session hit simply… isn’t there.
Silverstone is only a few weeks away. If Brookes is back in the paddock then, as she says, the next chapter won’t take long to reveal itself.
