Sky Sports F1 pundit pulls out of Brazilian Grand Prix duties as health update issued

Natalie Pinkham has had to pull out of a scheduled punditry appearance at the Brazilian Grand Prix as she continues to recover from neck surgery. The Sky Sports presenter has been absent from our screens since September when she led coverage of the Italian Grand Prix before going under the knife.

Pinkham, who has been a member of the Sky Sports presenting team since the broadcaster bought the rights to show F1 action back in 2012, has spoke of how she chose to go ahead with the procedure after doctors told her she risked permanent nerve damage caused by a disc pressing on her spinal cord.

She has been recovering since posting on social media back in September to confirm that the operation had been a success. However, it seems her recuperation is taking longer than she had initially hoped, suggesting in a new update for fans that she had planned to be part of Sky's coverage in Sao Paulo this weekend.

Pinkham wrote: "Hello friends... 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."

She also shared a video montage revealing the scar left on her neck by the surgery, and also several shots of her using an oxygen mask as part of her recovery. Pinkham added: "Here's to family, friends, good food and fresh air for their combined healing qualities. Now the hard work really starts."

In a podcast appearance alongside host Gabby Logan last month, Pinkham opened up on the congenital issue that doctors found that led to her making the 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."

And regarding her enforce absence from her Sky Sports duties, Pinkham added: "I've never really had [a break] 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."