Martin Brundle sends message to Rachel Brookes after surprise Sky F1 exit

Martin Brundle has paid tribute to Rachel Brookes following the news of her surprise Sky F1 departure, commenting that the presenter’s professionalism “shines through.”

Brookes announced earlier this week that she has left Sky Sports after more than a decade with the broadcaster.

Martin Brundle pays tribute to Rachel Brookes after Sky F1 departure

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The presenter indicated that she is set to remain involved in Formula 1, with Brookes planning to attend next weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

PlanetF1.com has approached Brookes for comment over the nature of her Sky F1 exit as well as her next move.

Sources close to the situation have indicated that Brookes’ recent appearance on a podcast, in which she opened up about the online abuse she received following an interview with Max Verstappen in 2025, had no influence on her departure.

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Brookes revealed that she had parted company in a short post to social media earlier this week.

She wrote: “After many years at Sky I am moving on to exciting new ventures and looking forward to what comes next.

“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!”

Brookes’ post has been viewed more than 600,000 times at the time of writing.

In response to Brookes’ post, Brundle paid a short tribute to the former Sky F1 presenter on social media.

Brundle wrote: “Good luck Rach. It’s been a pleasure to work alongside you on Sky F1. Your professionalism shines through.”

In what could be considered a further sign that Brookes will remain in F1 in some capacity, she replied: “Thank you MB.

“An absolute pleasure to work with you too. Hope our paths cross again.”

The exchange between Brundle and Brookes comes after Sky Sports issued a statement to PlanetF1.com following Brookes’ departure.

A Sky Sports spokesman said on Friday: “Rachel has moved on from the Sky Sports F1 team to take on new challenges as we evolve our coverage.

“Rachel has been an asset for the team and we wish her well in her new endeavours.”

Brundle is the latest Sky F1 figure to message Brookes on social media following the news of her exit.

David Croft, Sky F1’s lead commentator, commented on Brookes’ Instagram post: “Good luck for the future Rach, we’re gonna miss ya xxx.”

Main presenter Simon Lazenby added: “We will miss you Rach xxx.”

Pundit Naomi Schiff wrote: “Can’t wait to see what’s next in store for you Rach.”

Fellow pundit Karun Chandhok said: “Will miss you on tour Raquel.”

Verstappen’s partner, Kelly Piquet, also added: “You’ve been amazing Rach! And will be very missed.”

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