F1 LIVE | Heated Verstappen interview forces journalist to take action, Max deserved penalty

Sky Sports journalist Rachel Brookes became the target of online abuse following a tense post-race interview with Max Verstappen after the Spanish Grand Prix. In the interview, Brookes suggested something had "taken the shine off" Verstappen’s performance, a remark that sparked backlash from some of the Dutch driver’s fans. As the negativity rose up, Brookes was forced to disable comments and mentions on her social media accounts to protect herself from the 'disgusting comments' she received in the aftermath.

The hostility stemmed from Verstappen's on-track clash with George Russell and his reluctance to take responsibility for the incident. Brookes' attempt to address the controversy during the interview further fueled the backlash online. Despite the situation, she continued posting race-related content to her Instagram stories, although comments remained turned off. Brookes stated she may reactivate the functions later but, for now, would focus on covering the upcoming race weekend.

The outcome of the Canadian Grand Prix was only confirmed well after the checkered flag, as Red Bull Racing lodged two protests against George Russell. They claimed the Mercedes driver deliberately braked under the safety car to provoke Max Verstappen into an illegal overtake, calling it 'dangerous driving.' However, stewards reviewed the incident thoroughly and dismissed the claims. Data showed Russell's braking was well within the acceptable limits, and his glance in the mirror was interpreted as a safety check, not manipulation.

Red Bull’s second protest focused on Russell allegedly leaving too much space with respects to the safety car, which they argued was unnecessary since the race was set to finish under caution. The stewards ruled again in Russell's favor, noting that occasional gaps are standard practice to maintain tyre and brake temperature. In the end, both protests were thrown out, and Russell's win remained.