Rachel Brookes, who departed Sky F1 last month after more than a decade with the broadcaster, has clarified that her exit was unrelated to online abuse following a 2025 interview with Max Verstappen. Brookes stated the situation was ‘resolved very quickly’ and that she maintains a ‘great relationship’ with the four-time world champion.
Speaking on the Essential F1 podcast after the Hungarian Grand Prix, Brookes addressed speculation linking her departure to the backlash from the Barcelona 2025 incident. The interview in question followed a collision between Verstappen and George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix, where Brookes questioned if the contact was deliberate.
Brookes subsequently predicted that Verstappen will leave Red Bull and join Mercedes, replacing George Russell. She believes Verstappen is actively seeking an exit from Red Bull, driven by a desire to return to winning races.
Verstappen is currently sixth in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship standings at the summer break, over 100 points behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. This position has reportedly activated a performance-related exit clause in his Red Bull contract, which would allow him to leave at the end of 2026 if he is not within the top two in the standings.
Red Bull has reportedly responded by offering Verstappen a new contract extending until the end of the 2029 season, which includes a significant pay increase and aims to remove the existing exit clause. Verstappen has until October to make a decision on this offer.
Verstappen’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, has indicated that the driver intends to fulfill his current contract until 2028 and that the activation of the clause does not automatically mean he will depart. However, Verstappen has expressed dissatisfaction with the 2026 regulations and the performance of the Red Bull car, which has yet to secure a victory this season.
Laurent Mekies, who became Red Bull Team Principal in mid-2025, replacing Christian Horner, has acknowledged the team’s struggles. Mekies stated that Red Bull would shift its development focus to the 2027 car after the summer break, as the team is not in contention for the 2026 title.
Brookes cited staff departures from Red Bull as a factor in Verstappen’s potential desire to leave. Michael Manning, Verstappen’s control systems engineer, recently moved to Williams as Chief Engineer – Trackside Engineering in July 2026. Other key engineers, Tom Hart and David Mart, also left Red Bull in late 2025.
Mercedes currently fields Kimi Antonelli, the 2026 championship leader with six Grand Prix victories, and George Russell, who has also secured wins this season. Both drivers are contracted to Mercedes until at least the end of 2026, with Russell holding a multi-year deal extending into 2027.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has publicly stated his satisfaction with the current driver line-up, asserting that the team is ‘very happy’ and ‘don’t want to change things’. However, Wolff has also indicated he would not be ‘afraid’ to pair Verstappen with Antonelli, keeping the door open for a potential future move.
Since leaving Sky F1, Rachel Brookes has continued her involvement in Formula 1, hosting Aston Martin’s ‘The Lawn’ event at the British Grand Prix in July 2026. She also released her book, ‘F1 Racing: Drive,’ earlier this year.
