The 48-year-old has been a mainstay throughout the British broadcaster's F1 coverage since they secured live Formula 1 rights in the United Kingdom and Ireland ahead of the 2012 season.

However, after appearing several times throughout the 2025 season, including most recently at the Italian Grand Prix, there will be no imminent return, despite being hopeful of a return at Interlagos.

On Instagram, Pinkham posted several images of her surgery and recovery process, which will not see her travel to Sao Paulo for the penultimate sprint weekend of the season.

"I had hoped to be on a flight to Brazil yesterday, but the last couple of months have been trickier than I expected following neck surgery, and I am not there just yet," she wrote alongside her video.

In Sao Paulo, the title fight between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen continues to bubble up, with extra points on offer thanks to the sprint weekend.

Norris retook the lead in the drivers' standings for the first time since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April, ahead of teammate Piastri by just a single point, while Verstappen sits 36 points away from the top spot.

Despite slashing that deficit to 36 points from a 104-point gap thanks to some superb form shown by Verstappen and Red Bull, the four-time champion admits that "a little bit of luck" will be needed to secure a fifth consecutive world title and complete one of the greatest comebacks in F1 history.