Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes has revealed she faced a wave of harsh online abuse after the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, where she conducted several challenging post-race interviews. The event, held in Barcelona, was marked by tense moments, including one involving Lewis Hamilton’s apologetic remarks during an interview. Hamilton’s downbeat admission of having had a “terrible” day led to him apologizing directly to Brookes for his attitude, as shared by David Croft on the F1 Show.
Despite Hamilton’s apology, Brookes has disclosed that the reaction from viewers was overwhelmingly negative, forcing her to disable comments and mentions on her social media accounts ahead of the upcoming Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. She expressed disappointment over the volume of “vile abuse” she received but remains committed to covering the sport.
Have arrived in Montreal for the Canadian GP race weekend. One of my favourite venues on the calendar,
Brookes wrote on Instagram.
She further added,
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.
Moreover,
I may switch them back on at a later date but for now they will stay off. Time to go racing, it should be an exciting weekend!
Incidents in Spain Heighten Tensions During Post-Race Interviews
The Spanish Grand Prix featured a controversial moment when Max Verstappen crashed into Mercedes’ George Russell, earning a 10-second time penalty that dropped Verstappen to 10th place in the final standings. The collision sparked intense debate within the F1 community and among fans.
During his post-race interview with Brookes, Verstappen appeared confrontational, questioning whether it truly mattered if his contact with Russell was deliberate. He shifted focus away from the incident, instead wanting to discuss the race as a whole, but closed by dismissing Brookes’ suggestion that the collision overshadowed his driving abilities as merely her “opinion.”
This heated exchange reflected the broader strain in Formula 1 media interactions, as online abuse toward both presenters and paddock personnel has been escalating. Channel 4 presenter Lee McKenzie has also publicly disclosed the abuse she faced. The problem extends beyond broadcasters, with drivers such as Yuki Tsunoda, Jack Doohan, and Franco Colapinto subjected to offensive messages during the Imola GP weekend.
Efforts to Combat Growing Online Abuse in Formula 1
In response to this disturbing trend, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem issued an official statement condemning the abuse and supporting victims within the sport. The FIA has launched the United Against Online Abuse campaign to combat harassment aimed at members of the F1 community and promote respect across digital platforms.
The ongoing issues surrounding social media toxicity underscore the pressures faced by broadcasters like Rachel Brookes and others who cover the sport under intense public scrutiny. As the Formula 1 calendar moves forward to events like the Canadian GP, efforts to create a safer environment for media, drivers, and staff will remain a priority.
