Sky F1 presenter takes action over ‘vile abuse’ after Max Verstappen interview backlash

Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes has been forced to turn off comments on her social media accounts after receiving “vile abuse” following an interview with Max Verstappen at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Brookes has been part of the Sky Sports F1 team since 2012, when they won exclusive rights from the BBC.

She’s often Sky’s designated interviewer in the media pen after sessions.

As a result, Brookes is often tasked with having to ask tough questions, particularly after controversial incidents.

This was the case following the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month. 

Verstappen was handed a 10-second time penalty after colliding with George Russell.

The Dutchman appeared to collide with Russell deliberately as he was irked that Red Bull told him to lift off and give the position back following their battle at Turn 1 following the Safety Car restart.

After the race, Brookes asked Verstappen whether his actions ‘take the shine off’ his brilliance, referring to the Dutchman’s outstanding move on Oscar Piastri at the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Verstappen simply responded: “Well, that’s your opinion. We will leave it there”.

Brookes reveals “enormous amounts of vile abuse”

It seems Brookes was abused and criticised for her line of questioning towards Verstappen.

She wrote: “I will be posting on here as usual, but comments/tags/mentions on here and on X have been disabled for the foreseeable future due to the enormous amounts of vile abuse I was sent after the Spanish GP.

“I may switch them back on at a later date, but for now they will stay off.”

Brookes isn’t the only F1 presenter forced to take action on social media.

Channel 4 F1 presenter Lee McKenzie hit back at online trolls following a raft of “horrific abuse”.

McKenzie addressed the abuse in a lengthy post on Instagram, which was aimed at her appearance and weight following an operation.