Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham has been sidelined while she recovers from neck surgery.

Natalie Pinkham continues to recover after neck surgery (Image: Getty)

Sky Sports have been forced to reshuffle their presenting line-up for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after scheduled lead presenter Natalie Pinkham was unable to make the trip. The experienced broadcaster remains on the mend following neck surgery and has been absent from broadcasting duties since fronting Sky’s coverage of the Italian Grand Prix in September.

In an Instagram update on Thursday, she revealed her comeback had been postponed. Pinkham posted: “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. Huge thanks to the Sky F1 team and the wider company for their incredible support.”

Her unavailability at the Interlagos circuit has prompted Sky Sports to adjust their presenting arrangements, Express Sport understands. The network swiftly amended its presenter rota upon learning Pinkham wouldn’t be travelling, drawing upon their roster of on-air personalities and the adaptability that provides.

On Friday afternoon, correspondent Craig Slater was called upon to assume some presenting responsibilities for the practice session, splitting the workload with Ted Kravitz who simultaneously carried out his pit lane reporting obligations. The pair were set to maintain these combined duties for Sprint qualifying later that day.

Simon Lazenby will be taking over the reins for the rest of the weekend, having travelled to Brazil. He will spearhead the coverage for the Sprint race and qualifying for the main Grand Prix on Saturday, continuing his role for Sunday’s main event.

The set-up will be familiar to viewers, with a host of fan favourites on hand to provide commentary and analysis. Lead commentator David Croft was at the helm for Friday’s practice, joined by pundits Karun Chandhok and Jamie Chadwick in the booth.

Martin Brundle was trackside for that hour of practice, getting an up-close look at the cars on track after missing the last event in Mexico. This means he’ll be front and centre for the much-loved live grid walk segment in the minutes leading up to Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Sky Sports have tweaked their presenter schedule with Simon Lazenby flying to Brazil to fill in (Image: Getty)

Pinkham is hoping to rejoin her colleagues on screen soon. During a podcast appearance last month, she revealed to host Gabby Logan that doctors had discovered a congenital issue with her neck, prompting her decision to undergo surgery. She said: “They have to actually take your voice box out, which is a bit gross.

“You have to sign something to say you might lose your voice. Then, they have to move the oesophagus, trachea and then basically they have taken out the disc and they have fused it, but they have also put in a little cage to try to prop the neck up.

“I’ve never really had [a break from TV work] in the last 20-odd years and it’s interesting because when you stop physically, that’s often when you stir up the mental noise. It’s been a real period of reflection, the last six weeks, which has had its pros and cons.

“This is the first time I’ve spoken a few sentences at a time – it’s quite hard to talk because of all the scar tissue. It feels like you eat or drink something and it just stops there, you have to wait a while. So, little snacks throughout the day as opposed to big meals.”