Sky F1's Rachel Brookes on the delicate art of post-race driver interviews

Rachel Brookes, a Sky F1 presenter with 14 years of experience and more than 200 Grands Prix under her belt, has opened up about the delicate balance of interviewing drivers in raw emotional moments. Her new book, F1 Racing: Drive, dives into the technical and psychological factors that separate elite teammates in identical machinery, drawing on interviews with drivers like Oscar Piastri.

Why it matters:

F1's immediate post-session media duties are unique in sports—drivers face the world's press within minutes of climbing out of the car. Brookes' insights highlight the human challenge of extracting accountability while preserving relationships, a balancing act that shapes how fans perceive the sport's biggest stars.

The details:

• Brookes recounts tense exchanges with Lewis Hamilton after difficult Ferrari outings: a Q2 exit in Hungary where he called himself “useless,” and a Spanish GP post-race where he gave one-word answers before apologizing off-camera.
• In Spain, she asked Max Verstappen directly whether he deliberately hit George Russell—a question that sparked online abuse against her.
• Her approach: “If somebody's done something wrong, you have to call them out… to give them a right of reply.” She lets drivers go if they're too frustrated, because pushing rarely yields anything valuable.
• The book explores why one driver can take pole while a teammate exits in Q1, using interviews with current and former F1 personnel. Piastri praised for his calm, analytical take on greatness (Hamilton, Schumacher, Senna).

Between the lines:

Brookes emphasizes mutual respect with drivers—she never wants an interview to end on a bad note. Her ability to read moods while still asking hard questions is a skill honed over years. The book aims to help newer fans understand the hidden pressures that create huge performance gaps within the same team, turning a technical sport into a human story.