Rachel Brookes spoke about her sudden departure from Sky Sports F1 and revealed that she received great support from Lewis Hamilton.
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Last month, the presenter and journalist confirmed that she left her role at the broadcaster with immediate effect. Her farewell took many by surprise due to how quick it was.
Brookes joined the channel in 2009 and has been a key member of the F1 team since Sky Sports took over the broadcasting rights in the UK in 2012.
Now, at 51 years old, she spoke publicly for the first time about her departure from the channel. “It seemed very sudden, but it wasn’t. I had the chance to say goodbye to the people in the paddock I worked with, the teams and the drivers. In fact, I had the opportunity to say goodbye to Lewis. I had a very nice conversation with him. I managed to find time to talk with Lewis. He was, as you can imagine, extremely kind and very supportive,” she explained on the Essential F1 podcast.
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“I’m not going to reveal everything that was said, but the moment was captured by some photographers. There is a beautiful photo at the end, where he gives me a big hug and says: ‘I hope to see you back in the paddock soon,’ it was really very affectionate. In Canada, I was wrapping up press activities in the TV interview area;” she continued.
“Charles Leclerc had just finished the interviews and was leaving. I was standing near my camera when he gave me a big hug. He didn’t say a word, just gave me a tight hug. Obviously, someone had already told him; I just said ‘thank you’ and he left,” she added.
“There were some drivers I couldn’t say goodbye to personally, due to the circumstances. The day after the announcement, when I was at home, I received small video messages from some drivers saying they would miss me. It was something really very special. The paddock is a family. It’s an amazing place. I didn’t imagine anyone would notice, but the teams and the drivers… it’s a big family, and it’s wonderful. I was very moved by everyone’s reaction,” she concluded.
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Lewis with Rachel Brookes today. 🩷 pic.twitter.com/EuThtWJd49
— soph (@S0PHIE44) March 12, 2026
