The 2025 Formula 1 season began with Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix but one member of Sky’s broadcasting team was forced to leave their coverage partway through
Sky Sports presenter Sandra Baumgartner has given a reassuring update after disappearing from the broadcaster’s Australian Grand Prix coverage. The 43-year-old was taken ill while working on the Formula 1 season opener, but is on the mend.
Baumgartner has worked for Sky Sports’ German sister channel for more than a decade. She joined as a reporter on the news channel before moving over to the F1 side of things in 2012.
The Munich-born broadcaster has built up a following as a pit lane reporter on German TV. She was fulfilling the same role on Sunday as the 2025 F1 season got underway in Melbourne, but vanished from the coverage before the race itself came to an end.
“Some of you will miss Sandra. We will!” Baumgartner’s colleague Peter Hardenacke said during the coverage,” as translated by The Sun. “She said goodbye during the race. She’s not feeling well.
“She already had a headache yesterday after the first day and qualifying. Best wishes, Sandra! Get well soon. We hope you’ll be back hosting the warm-up for the Chinese Grand Prix on Thursday at the latest.”
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Baumgartner shared an update on her own Instagram page, in English and German. “Melbourne was great until I got ill,” she explained. “I’ll be back on Thursday for the warm-up for the next race. My next race on site is Bahrain and not because of illness, that was already planned.”
Baumgartner also thanked those who sent well-wishes. “Many thanks for all the kind wishes for recovery!!! Unfortunately I’ve been hit by a flu-like infection, so I’ve decided to leave the race track and recuperate,” she wrote on Monday. “I’m on the road to recovery, not yet back to 100% but I’ll get there. Many thanks also to our great team for looking after me and for their support.”
On the track, it was Lando Norris who got off to a winning start. The McLaren driver was beaten to the title by Max Verstappen in 2024 but stole a march on his rival, with George Russell coming home third behind Verstappen.
“In the past, like last year, we would have done the same race and we wouldn’t have won the race because we were not the best at making those decisions,” Norris said after his win. “But today we were and I give a lot of credit to the team because they worked hard over the winter to make sure we were ready for a day like today.”
Next on the calendar is the Chinese Grand Prix, with qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. Drivers will then have a week without a GP, followed by three back-to-back in Japan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Last year’s Chinese Grand Prix was won by Verstappen, with Norris second and Sergio Perez third. Mexican driver Perez is not part of this year’s championship, with Red Bull handing his seat to Liam Lawson.
