Overview
- Brookes left Sky Sports F1 with immediate effect last month after more than a decade covering the sport.
- Speaking on the Essential F1 podcast after the Hungarian Grand Prix, she denied that the 2025 Verstappen interview or the subsequent online abuse prompted her departure and said the online matter was resolved quickly.
- She described having time to say goodbye inside the paddock and recounted private farewells, including a supportive hug from Lewis Hamilton and one from Charles Leclerc, plus video messages from other drivers.
- Brookes has already stayed active in the paddock by hosting Aston Martin’s 'The Lawn' at Silverstone and says she intends to remain involved in Formula 1 work.
- She expressed the view that Verstappen could seek a move to Mercedes for 2027, a prediction she presented as her opinion and which remains unconfirmed by the parties involved.