‘Completely overwhelmed’ – Rachel Brookes breaks silence on sudden Sky F1 exit

Oliver Harden
Rachel Brookes holding a Sky Sports microphone in the paddock in Austin

Rachel Brookes suddenly departed Sky Sports in June 2026

Former Sky F1 presenter Rachel Brookes says she is “very touched” by the messages she has received since parting ways with the broadcaster last month.

It comes after the presenter returned to Monaco last weekend to attend an E1 Series powerboat event.

Rachel Brookes ‘completely overwhelmed’ by reaction to Sky F1 exit

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Brookes announced last month that she had left Sky Sports after more than a decade with the broadcaster, where she was a fixture of Sky F1’s coverage.

The presenter hinted that she will remain in Formula 1 in some capacity, commenting that “F1 still has my heart and so I’ll still be involved in it.”

A Sky Sports spokesperson told PlanetF1.com: “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.”

Brookes did not respond when approached by PlanetF1.com over the nature of her departure.

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In a post to social media ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Brookes thanked fans for their well wishes in the aftermath of her exit.

Taking to Instagram’s story function, which allows images and video clips to be posted for a maximum of 24 hours, she wrote: “A month ago I announced I was leaving Sky.

“I was completely overwhelmed by all the messages I received and just want to say a HUGE thank you for every single one.

“I was very touched and it’s taken a while to read them all! I haven’t been able to reply to everyone but I have read them.”

As reported by PlanetF1.com, Brookes secured her first new role since leaving Sky F1 at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, where she hosted the The Lawn event organised by the Aston Martin team.

The Lawn, held at Aston Martin’s factory close to the Silverstone circuit, is a VIP hospitality and fan event held at the British Grand Prix each season.

Brookes is known to have a long-standing relationship with Aston Martin having hosted the team’s car launch events in 2022, 2023 and 2026.

Six weeks after the Monaco Grand Prix, Brookes was back at the principality last weekend to watch the E1 Series, which coincided with Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix.

The presenter was insistent that it was “not a new job” following her Sky F1 exit, writing on social media: “Fabulous few days away seeing what E1 Series is all about.

“Not a new job but a lovely opportunity to see another motorsport up close. Loved every second of it.”

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