{"id":430407,"date":"2026-05-16T10:02:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/430407\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T10:02:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T10:02:24","slug":"f1-news-im-still-a-fan-f1-presenter-lifts-lid-on-paddock-pressures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/430407\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 news: \u2018I\u2019m still a fan\u2019: F1 presenter lifts lid on paddock pressures"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Sky
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRachel Brookes has released a new book talking about what makes F1 drivers different from others. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n

The presenter, who has covered more than 200 Grands Prix across a 14-year career, came under increased scrutiny during the 2025 season following a series of raw post-session interviews.<\/p>\n

They included Lewis Hamilton\u2019s visibly frustrated exchanges after difficult Ferrari outings and Max Verstappen\u2019s heated response following his Spanish Grand Prix clash with George Russell.<\/p>\n

One of the most discussed moments came in Hungary, when Hamilton described himself as \u201cuseless\u201d<\/a> during a difficult media pen appearance after a Q2 exit.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the season in Spain, he also apologised to Brookes off-camera after giving one-word answers following another disappointing result for Ferrari.<\/p>\n

Brookes said moments like those are part of what makes the role both demanding and important.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still a fan as well. That\u2019s the big thing. I\u2019m a fan of the racing. I\u2019m a fan of the sport,\u201d she told Speedcafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean there are times where Lewis has given me one word answers, and instead of pushing him I just let him go.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause you\u2019re not going to get anything good out of somebody in that mood.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not going to get them to suddenly say something groundbreaking. You are just going to really hack them off.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if you want those relationships, you\u2019ve got to be able to understand the mood they\u2019re in at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut also, at the same time, if somebody\u2019s done something wrong, you have to call them out, because the whole world\u2019s been watching.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re not calling them out to have a go at them, you\u2019re calling them out so that hopefully they will answer it and give the fans a reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re giving them a right of reply.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brookes herself was subjected to online abuse following her exchange with Verstappen in Spain, where she asked the Dutchman directly whether he had deliberately driven into Russell in the closing stages of the race<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMax in Spain last year with George was the biggest one. Both sides,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe got a lot of criticism for what he did. I got criticism for asking him if it was deliberate.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s the question people were asking watching the TV. Did he do that on purpose?<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I have to let him say, no, absolutely not. I had an issue in the car, or I had this, or I had that.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we don\u2019t know. Unless you ask him, you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s since come out obviously that he\u2019s said, yeah, I was wrong and whatever.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut at the time in that moment it\u2019s my job to ask him if he did it on purpose. I can\u2019t shy away from that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also pointed to the immediacy of F1 media duties as something unique to the sport, with drivers often speaking publicly within minutes of climbing out of the car.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey get put in front of the world\u2019s media immediately,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I just think that sometimes you have to try and put yourself in their shoes and think this is horrible for them right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rachel<\/p>\n

Brookes is known for her strong connection with drivers while also asking the hard questions. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n

Brookes said that balance between emotion, accountability and explanation also fed into her broader work on the sport, including her new book, F1 Racing: Drive.<\/p>\n

Rather than focusing on paddock controversy, the book explores the technical, psychological and human elements that can create major performance differences between teammates driving identical machinery.<\/p>\n

Brookes said the subject became increasingly fascinating during years of interviewing drivers across the grid.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to understand properly why one driver can put a car on pole and another driver goes out in Q1. Same car. Teammates. All the same data. All the same information,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd yet, from the 20 best drivers in the world there can be such a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book revisits a number of key moments from Brookes\u2019 time in the paddock and also draws on interviews with current and former F1 personnel, including past and present drivers.<\/p>\n

Oscar Piastri was among those interviewed, with Brookes highlighting his calm and analytical approach while discussing performance, rivals and Formula 1 greatness, naming drivers such as Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna among the greatest drivers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s really hard to ask a current driver their greatest of all time, because they always want to be the greatest, right?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why they\u2019re there. That\u2019s why they\u2019re still doing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I think it\u2019s really hard. But I am always fascinated by who\u2019s influenced them in their career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they mention the names from different eras, I\u2019m interested in who they actually look up to as a driver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brookes added that the original idea for the book came from wanting to better understand what ultimately separates drivers at the very highest level, even when they have access to the same engineers, information and equipment.<\/p>\n

She said she hoped the final product would appeal both to long-time F1 followers and newer audiences drawn into the sport in recent years.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend said they were worried it would be too technical for them\u2026 but they said they really enjoyed it because of the way it was written,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Despite balancing the project alongside her role with Sky Sports and the scrutiny that can come with interviewing drivers in emotionally charged moments, Brookes said her passion for F1 remains unchanged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a mutual respect I feel, and I hope that\u2019s the case that they know I have a job to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I also never, ever want an interview to end on a bad note.\u201d<\/p>\n

Published by Michael O\u2019Mara Books, F1 Racing: Drive is available now.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n
\"\"\/
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