Former Sky Sports presenter Rachel Brookes has revealed she had a supportive conversation with Lewis Hamilton after announcing her decision to leave her role, but denied that fan abuse had led to her quitting.
Brookes publicly announced in June that she had quit her role as a reporter for Sky Sports, days before the Austrian Grand Prix. Brookes, 51, had been part of Sky Sports' coverage for the past 14 years, interviewing drivers before and after races.
Speaking on Essential F1, Brookes said that although her exit had appeared sudden, it had actually been planned, giving her time to say farewell to several drivers.
Brookes said it appeared very sudden, but it was not, and that she had a chance to say goodbye to people in the paddock, including colleagues, teams and drivers.
Brookes said she had a lovely chat with Hamilton, describing him as really lovely and very supportive. She said she would not divulge everything that was said, but that the moment was caught by photographers, including a photo of Hamilton giving her a hug and telling her he hoped to see her back in the paddock soon.
Brookes also described an encounter with Charles Leclerc in Canada, saying he had just finished his written interviews and gave her the biggest hug without saying a word as she stood by her camera. She said she thanked him and he left.
Brookes said there were a few drivers she did not get to say goodbye to in person, but that she received video messages from a couple of drivers the day after her departure was announced, saying they would miss her. She described the paddock as a family and said she was overwhelmed by the response from everybody.
Verstappen abuse not linked to exit, Brookes says
Brookes confirmed her plan to remain involved in Formula One despite leaving Sky, and had told fans she would keep them posted on her future ventures.
Her initial announcement had come days after Brookes revealed the abuse she said she received from fans following an interview with Max Verstappen last season, which she had described as utterly horrendous.
Brookes insisted her decision to quit Sky Sports had nothing to do with the comments and abuse she got online last year, saying that situation was resolved very quickly and that she has a great relationship with Verstappen. She said she knew a lot of people thought otherwise, and that some articles had been written suggesting a link, but said that was absolutely not the case.
Brookes had spoken to four time world champion Verstappen after the Spanish Grand Prix last May. Verstappen had been handed a 10 second penalty at the race after colliding with Mercedes' George Russell.
After former world champion Nico Rosberg suggested on commentary that Verstappen may have deliberately collided with his rival, Brookes put the question to the Dutchman on camera. Speaking on the Road to Success podcast, Brookes said she asked Verstappen whether it was deliberate, and that his response was to ask whether it mattered. She said she told him it did matter, to the fans watching and to children, and that she wanted people to see how good he is, but that he makes it difficult when he does things like that.
Speaking in June, Brookes said she had been privately praised by peers in broadcasting for asking Verstappen the question, but had been targeted by what she called horrific abuse from fans.
Brookes said she received a lot of messages from people in sports broadcasting saying well done for asking the question, adding that nobody else in the interview pen that day asked Verstappen that question, and that even her colleagues said they would have been too scared to ask it.
Brookes said the reaction on social media was horrendous, including messages telling her she should never be able to have children because she was a bad example. She said much of it came from profiles belonging to men with daughters, and that she felt people should take a step back and remember it is a Formula 1 race and a sport. She said the abuse was utterly horrendous and that she closed her comments as a result.
Verstappen, who had admitted making a mistake after the race, dropped from fifth place to tenth at the Spanish Grand Prix. He went on to miss out on the world title by two points to Lando Norris.
