Sky reporter recalls wave of massive online abuse sparked by Verstappen interview

While the Barcelona weekend has only just come to an end, many still vividly remember last year's edition, when Verstappen and the Mercedes driver collided after the Dutchman was instructed to hand back the position following an incident at Turn 1. As many expected Verstappen to yield the place, he instead made contact with Russell in a move that sparked controversy, with many believing the collision had been intentional.

Speaking on the Road to Success podcast, Brookes explained that her question had been inspired by the discussion taking place on Sky Sports' coverage at the time. With Nico Rosberg among the pundits that weekend, the 2016 world champion had suggested the collision appeared intentional, leading Brookes to raise the topic directly with Verstappen in the media pen.

The reporter recalled that the exchange quickly turned into a back-and-forth discussion over whether the incident mattered, particularly from the perspective of fans and younger viewers watching Formula 1: "Nico Rosberg was on our programme that weekend and had implied he thought it was deliberate. This is what our pundits were saying. Nico, as a Formula 1 driver and a world champion, said it looked deliberate.

Brookes revealed that many figures working in sports broadcasting privately praised her for asking the question, noting that several journalists who were present in the media pen that day later admitted they would have been reluctant to raise the topic with Verstappen. She explained that she never viewed the exchange as an act of bravery, but simply as a natural question stemming from curiosity about the incident.

However, the reaction online was far less supportive. The Sky Sports reporter said she became the target of intense abuse on social media, receiving a stream of offensive and deeply personal messages in the aftermath of the interview. According to Brookes, some of the comments crossed the line completely, prompting her to eventually disable replies and close her comment sections to avoid further harassment.

Fresh from another race weekend in Barcelona, the four-time world champion crossed the line in fourth place as Red Bull once again found itself unable to challenge Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren on equal terms.

Speaking to GPblog among other media after the race, Verstappen admitted the team is still trailing its main rivals and remains some way from where it wants to be. While encouraged by the progress being made behind the scenes, the Dutchman stressed that Red Bull's focus remains on unlocking more performance through future developments.

Attention is now turning to the Austrian Grand Prix, where Red Bull is expected to introduce a substantial upgrade package. Team principal Laurent Mekies, who had labelled Barcelona a crucial test of the team's true competitiveness, took positives from the performances of both Verstappen and Hadjar despite the disappointing result. The Frenchman also revealed that Red Bull is targeting a lighter car for Spielberg, with several updates planned as the Milton Keynes-based outfit looks to reduce the gap to its closest rivals.