Just In: Lewis Hamilton Receives Shocking News from Rachel Brookes After She Posts a Video of Lewis That Offers a Significant Hint About Her…
Just In: Lewis Hamilton Receives Shocking News from Rachel Brookes After She Posts a Video of Lewis That Offers a Significant Hint About Her Sky F1 Exit
Rachel Brookes has revealed her Sky Sports departure was months in the making. In a new video posted on her TikTok channel, the former Sky F1 reporter and presenter showed several photos to her followers of her walking and talking with Lewis Hamilton in the paddock, before the two of them embrace.
In the caption, she made it clear that the photos captured the moment and Hamilton’s reaction as she told him that she was set to leave the broadcaster. “Telling Lewis I was leaving Sky after 14 years of interviewing him,” she captioned the clip, also referring to the seven-time world champion as a “classy gentleman.
A couple of interesting details from the snaps made it clear that, while Brookes only confirmed her immediate departure from the Sky F1 team in June, her exit had been planned for much longer. The paddock in question was the one at the Chinese Grand Prix, while the blue-and-red Ferrari hoodie Hamilton was wearing was a special edition outfit his team had released for the Shanghai race.
Speaking on the Essential F1 podcast, Brookes confirmed: “It appeared very sudden, but it wasn’t. I had a chance to say goodbye to people in the paddock, to people I worked with, teams, drivers. I actually had a chance to say goodbye to Lewis. I had a lovely chat with Lewis. I got some time with Lewis to have a conversation. He was, as you would imagine, really, really lovely, very supportive.
I won’t divulge everything that was said but it was caught by some photographers. There’s a lovely photo at the end of it where he gives me a massive hug and he says, ‘I hope I see you back in the paddock soon’, which was really lovely.
IIn Canada, I was finishing media in the TV interview pen and Charles Leclerc had just finished his interviews and was just walking back out. I was stood by my camera and he just gave me the biggest hug. Didn’t say a word just gave me the biggest hug. So obviously someone had told him and I just said, ‘Thank you’, and he left.
There were a few drivers I didn’t get to say goodbye to, just as it happened. I was at home the day after it had been announced and I get these little video messages from a couple of drivers as well, who said, ‘We’re going to miss you’. It was really, really lovely.
“The paddock is a family. It’s an amazing place. I kind of didn’t think anyone would notice, but the teams and the drivers, it is one big family and it is amazing. I was quite overwhelmed by the response from everybody.”
