Sky Sports have announced Bernie Collins as the latest pundit to join the broadcaster's Formula 1 presenting team.
Collins is no stranger to the paddock, having worked as a performance engineer at McLaren before moving to Aston Martin, where she was head of race strategy. She left that role mid-way through the 2022 season, prompting a heartfelt radio message from Sebastian Vettel.
She returns as the newest member of the Sky presenting line-up, which looks slightly different this year. Collins is the only new addition to date, though Johnny Herbert and Paul di Resta are absent from the coverage this year after their contracts were not renewed.
Collins makes her debut this weekend at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. She joins the likes of Martin Brundle, Nico Rosberg and Damon Hill on duty in Jeddah, and will also appear at an unspecified number of other race weekends over the course of the season.
"I am really excited to begin this new chapter with the Sky Sports F1 team and want to thank them for the opportunity," she said. "After many years on the pit wall I'm keen to embrace this new role within F1 from a viewer's perspective and enhance their experience of racing."
Sky's F1 director Billy McGinty added: "I'm really looking forward to working with Bernie who will add a new dimension and untapped insight to our programming. We hope our viewers will learn a lot from Bernie on what goes on in the garage and on the pit-wall at a race weekend."
Her goodbye from Aston Martin was rather emotional, as the team wrote on social media: "The Hungarian GP marks our head of race strategy Bernie Collins' last race with the team. An incredible teammate and a true inspiration to women in motorsport. She will be missed and we wish her the very best for the future."
Vettel said over the radio after that race: "Thank you very much, Bernie. Thank you... I was only there for two years – one and a half – with you, but it's been good fun and you're a great person. Thank you, big kiss, all the best."
That lovely message was clearly well received, as his race engineer replied with a chuckle: "She's gone very red, Sebastian."
