Sky F1’s mystery new pundit: These five names would make brilliant additions

With PlanetF1.com revealing that Sky F1 will add a new presenter to their line-up for 2024, we have put forward five names for consideration.

One of the sport’s biggest broadcasters confirmed on Tuesday that their punditry panel would largely stay the same for 2024, albeit with one new addition.

While the British broadcaster has kept quiet for the time being, we have put together five names who can add something to their coverage.

Sebastian Vettel

For the perfect blend of a pundit, you want someone with experience but also personality and Sebastian Vettel has that in abundance.

If you ever heard the German talk, he explains his thinking in a clear and concise way and if he were ever a part of the Sky team, he would be by far the most well-equipped to talk about the sport.

Yes Sky already have a World Champion in Jenson Button but a four-time title winner, ex-Red Bull and ex-Ferrari driver offers something new and exciting.

The German still clearly loves the sport and perhaps a part-time punditry role could help him reconnect without too much being added to his calendar.

Jessica Hawkins

Jessica Hawkins has proven herself to be a thoughtful driver with an analytical mind and crucially, one still involved in the sport.

Pedro de la Rosa has shown that Aston Martin ambassadors are given free reign to take up some punditry work so Hawkins too should be available around her other roles with the Silverstone team.

She could offer a unique perspective of what the Aston Martin team is like but also her experience getting into racing and what that may mean for others.

Otmar Szafnauer

So this suggestion is perhaps a little more out there but punditry roles tend to be handed out to ex-drivers, forgetting that it takes more than just a driver for an F1 team to work.

Former managers often make good pundits in other sports so could Otmar Szafnauer provide an interesting voice? He has knowledge of being a team principal and working his way up the ladder. Crucially he also has experience with two of the constructors on the grid.

He, alongside Bernie Collins, could help explain why teams make the strategic decisions they do and provide a non-driver perspective on certain events and the wider context they have on a constructor’s thinking.

For Szafnauer, it is also a chance to put himself in the proverbial shop window if he is after a way back onto the pit wall.

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Alexander Rossi

With three races in the US, Sky will clearly want an American viewpoint and while they do have Danica Patrick for seven grands prix in 2024, IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi would make an excellent addition.

He is an experienced driver with a whole host of competitions on his CV but he has also had an F1 stint with Marussia. Granted he only started five races but Karun Chandhok is proof that Sky are not necessarily after longevity, but knowledge.

Rossi is also an Indy 500 winner and can speak for the role F1 has in the US alongside IndyCar. He is of course still racing in IndyCar but could perhaps swap with Button when the latter competes in WEC.

Steve Nielsen

We admit this one has about as much chance of happening as us all waking up tomorrow and seeing there are two suns in the sky but Steve Nielsen is an incredibly experienced individual who has worked in a number of different toles.

He has experience of working with teams having been sporting director at Renault, Caterham, Toro Rosso and Williams but has also worked in the same role with F1.

This time last year, he swapped to the FIA to become sporting director there but left at the end of the year, reportedly unhappy with the working conditions.

In this hypothetical world where Nielsen is not only allowed to do punditry but also keen to do it, he would be an excellent voice on the decisions made within a race and how they relate to the regulations.

With his experience, no one will have a better knowledge of the exact nature of the rules and he can explain why stewards act the way they do.

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