Amber Brantsen
Formula 1 presenter Viaplay Netherlands
When we talk about powerful women in motorsport, Amber Brantsen is undoubtedly one of them. Amber is the face and Formula 1 presenter for Viaplay Netherlands. When Viaplay was first introduced in the Netherlands, it faced a wave of negativity. But where did this come from, and did it have anything to do with Amber being a woman? How did she feel about it, and how does she keep going despite the challenges and criticism she sometimes faces? Amber is our first “Racing Girl” who openly shared her journey toward Formula 1—how she started as a fan and eventually found her place in this racing world.
Photo credit: Gijs Versteeg
From curious student to leading Dutch news presenter
Amber is a well-known presenter in the Netherlands, having previously presented the news at NOS. But was this always her plan? Amber shared with us that she once considered becoming a doctor, but ultimately chose to pursue a career in media. She told us about her journey from the local broadcaster to NOS, marking the first steps in her journalism career.
“I had wanted to be a journalist for a very long time, and it was always my plan to go into news journalism. I was a very curious child, always wanting to know everything. I loved reading and writing. In sixth grade, I gave a presentation on journalism, and afterward, I was invited to visit the broadcaster TV West.
I got to read from an autocue and work behind the control panel, and that’s when things really became clear.
I decided I needed to build a solid foundation in practical skills. I went to Leiden and studied Public Administration. That’s also when I started at the local broadcaster and told them, ‘I can’t do anything yet, but my goal is news journalism. Do you have anything I can do? I want to learn and do it all.’ That’s when I was given the opportunity to read the radio news.
At the end of my studies, I wanted to intern in Hilversum, so I applied for an internship at NOS. I ended up staying there sooner than I expected, as I had just graduated and suddenly found myself at NOS. Those were my first steps in journalism.”
"Suddenly, I got a call from Peter Nørrelund asking; ‘Do you know Viaplay?’ I thought he’d dialed the wrong number! But he said; ‘No, I’m looking for you—I’d like to ask if you’d present this for us."
The transition from news journalist to Formula 1 sports presenter
When Amber first started presenting for Viaplay, some people questioned whether she was suited for the role. Did she know enough about Formula 1? But what many people don’t know is that Amber had a strong connection with Formula 1 for years. She had been watching it for years, attended multiple Grand Prix events, hosted an F1 podcast for the NOS with Jan Lammers, and appeared as a guest on Ziggo Sport’s Race Café several times. But where did her love for Formula 1 actually come from?
"In my free time, I was already watching Formula 1, mainly because of my boyfriend. He’s been watching for a long time, knows all the stories, and pulled me into the sport. I always thought of it as a fun hobby until NOS Sport decided they wanted to start a podcast about Formula 1. They asked if I’d like to present it, as I’d already hinted that I was a fan. So, I ended up doing a podcast with (former Formula 1 driver) Jan Lammers and Louis Dekker.
It's funny, because I remember Louis Dekker saying to me around May that year; 'So, has Viaplay called yet?' I had to pause for a moment, thinking; 'Viaplay? Who's that? Am I supposed to know them?' So I said; 'No, they haven’t called,' and honestly, it seemed like such a strange idea. I thought; 'Of course not! I’m on the news on TV, and then there’s the podcast—end of story.' But then, they actually did call. That was a big surprise! By that time, I had totally forgotten about Viaplay.
Suddenly, I was getting a call from Peter Nørrelund, who handles the rights. So there I was, on the phone with a Danish guy speaking English, asking; 'Do you know Viaplay?' I thought; 'Oh, sorry, have you called the wrong number?' But he said; 'No, no, I’m actually looking for you. I’d like to ask if you’d present this for us.' I was honestly shocked, thinking; 'Wait, how did this even come about?' Eventually, I found out they got my number through Alard Kalff."
A tough choice: safe space news or new challenge in F1?
Making the switch from news journalist to sports journalist is no small feat. Moreover, Viaplay was still relatively unknown in the Netherlands, and they didn’t even have a studio yet. So, it was a huge step and a risk to take. Amber would become the face of Viaplay, with Formula 1 being the top sport they would start broadcasting. Amber explains whether this was a difficult decision and what ultimately made her choose it.
"I wanted to think about it for a moment, so I had a few calls. I never felt like I was done or had learned everything at NOS, because the NOS is like the Champions League of news. I really enjoyed it there—such fun and skilled people. And every day, I reminded myself how much of a privilege it was to be able to do this. So, was I going to take the leap into sports? And they still had to start everything.
They had big dreams, but I didn’t really know what they were actually going to do.
What made the difference for me is that, in terms of presenting, I could really grow a lot. As a newsreader, you’re always in the studio, and without guests, there’s no real interaction with people. Sometimes you have one or two questions with a correspondent, but mostly, everything is already planned, and you know the key points. The show is essentially ready before it airs. I really enjoyed it, but I also thought that if I truly wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, I needed to go to Viaplay.
At Viaplay, anything could happen. It’s a new environment, which already makes it exciting, and I’d really be the face of it. I’d have analysts at my table, sharing their opinions. That’s a challenge, and it’s a lot of fun. But then, you also have a race where you don’t know how things will unfold beforehand. A pre-race show can still be put together fairly well, but a post-race show can’t. You create it during the race, in the live post-race analysis. I thought, this is where I’m really going to push myself—by not being that polished anchor anymore, and allowing myself to make mistakes, to take some risks. I thought, yes, this is good for me. That made the difference, but it was still exciting. You don’t know what you’re getting into. There wasn’t even a studio yet, there was nothing at all."
Viaplay’s tough start: A storm of emotions
For years, Formula 1 had been broadcast in the Netherlands by Ziggo Sport. When Viaplay announced that they had taken over the F1 broadcasting rights, it didn’t go down well in parts of the country. A group of people quickly formed strong opinions and disagreed with the change. They didn’t want to deal with a new platform, and hate comments came in even before anything had aired. How did this make Amber feel? Did she think she had made the wrong choice after all? She shares her thoughts on this in detail.
"It was quite intense. We thought we were starting off well—everything was new: the colleagues, the team, my role, the studio, even the cameras. With that comes a good vibe, positive energy, feeling excited, we're going to make some awesome shows! But everyone is watching, and everyone has an opinion.
Even before a single minute or second had aired, we were already getting quite a lot of criticism.
At the beginning, when you're caught up in that whirlwind, you think; 'Oh, everyone is against us.' I can handle feedback, that happened at NOS too, but sometimes it became really unpleasant and hurtful. You think, we’re doing this out of love for the sport. But even before it aired, the negativity was already there. And that’s tough because you really want to hold on to that good vibe. The reactions were distracting, and sometimes you even wonder, ‘Are we doing the right thing here?’ In hindsight, it’s easy to say you should brush it off, but it’s tough.
Part of me understands that people struggle with change. In the Netherlands it had been the same for years. Formula 1 was a male-dominated sport with male reporters. So people thought; ‘What’s going to happen now? I love this sport, are you going to make it less enjoyable? And then you bring in a woman from the news?’
We were still building, and I really wanted to say; ‘Wait for the first broadcast.’ At that time, everything was still in the works, so I couldn’t confidently say; ‘We’re going to create something really cool.’ We planned to, but it was still being built. So, I really wanted to tell everyone; ‘Wait, come back in six months with your feedback, and then we’ll see where we’re at.’
But even after the first broadcast, we were still developing, like any other program continuously evolves. But it’s hard when people are just shouting, criticizing everything. Viaplay didn’t deserve that—they simply thought, ‘We’ve bought the rights, and we’ll make something great.’
You have to let it slide, but at first, it was definitely challenging. You do wonder, 'Is this how it’s always going to be in sports journalism? How long will the criticism last? Will we break through it?
You step into it, but there are always limits, especially when people are threatened or when really crazy things happen. I will never accept that as part of the deal. That’s obviously something that can’t be justified by anyone."
"I’ve been called all sorts of things. I think it’s easy for some to target me because I’m a woman."
Standing strong: A woman’s journey in a man’s world
Were the doubts there because Amber is actually a news presenter, or because, as a woman, she supposedly wouldn’t know anything about Formula 1? 'I would never do this if I didn’t have a solid foundation of knowledge.' Do people realize that it’s Amber’s job to ask questions to the analysts, even if those questions are ones she could easily answer herself? How does Amber handle all the hate, and does it have anything to do with her being a woman in a male-dominated sport?
"I’ve been called all sorts of things. I think it’s easy for some to target me because I’m a woman.
I thought we had already made progress with emancipation, but then you realize that, for some people, it’s still a concept they struggle with. And that’s really unfortunate. The conversation wasn't there, so the only thing I could do was create great shows. The fact that I’m a woman probably didn’t sit well with everyone. But that’s just part of it, I guess.
I would never have started presenting Formula 1 if I didn’t have a solid foundation of knowledge. It’s a technical sport—lots of things happen, and sometimes it even feels like a soap opera. But it’s important to know more than just the basics, especially in order to ask the right questions to the analysts. Without that knowledge, I would never have started.
Sometimes, you have to ask that 'stupid question.' At first, I thought, 'Yeah, asking the stupid question is fun,' but then I realized it reflected poorly on me. 'There she goes again with that question—see, she doesn’t know anything.' It's pretty unfair because,
If a man were asking the same question, it would’ve been fine and casual. But if it’s a woman, she’s seen as ignorant, unprepared, and unskilled.
I really struggled with that. In the beginning, I even used to give half-answers to prove myself. For example, ‘What’s going on at Mercedes? Could it be this, this, and this?’ But that’s actually the analyst’s answer. I used to want to show, 'Hey, I know perfectly well.' But now, that's no longer a concern. Now, I think, ‘Let the analysts take the stage.’ They have their role, I have mine.
But it’s not just within Viaplay. I’ve been invited to talk shows to discuss the race, and I was always invited alongside someone else. I was placed at the table as a fan, while there was also an expert. And I thought, ‘What am I? Am I just a Formula 1 fan?’ Well, by now, I’m a sports journalist. And then someone would say, ‘Oh, that’s not what I meant at all,’ and try to explain themselves. I had a similar experience recently for a newspaper, where it said, ‘Amber Brantsen, Formula 1 enthusiast.’ Come on, we’ve moved beyond that. It took some time. People had to remind me, ‘Amber, you’re presenting a major sport in the Netherlands, and you should be proud of that.’ So, it’s easier to label a woman as a ‘Formula 1 fan’ than as someone who presents Formula 1 programs. I still get asked a lot, ‘Do you really like Formula 1?’"
Behind the scenes with Amber: The challenges and surprises of live broadcasting
Many people underestimate how difficult it actually is to present a live show. Not only can you not make mistakes or reshoot scenes, but you also can’t fully prepare. You have no idea what’s going to happen during a race or what exactly you’ll be discussing. On top of that, interviews are happening at the same time on the other side of the world, which means you don’t know exactly what quotes and content you’ll receive to talk about. What does Amber do during a regular broadcast? How was her first time in Zandvoort at the paddock, and is the Amber on TV different from the Amber behind the scenes?
"I watch the race with the analysts, one of the editors, and myself. I usually sit with Koen, the editor. We make a list of interesting moments, and I know what we can show. He consults with the editor-in-chief. I talk and also keep an eye on the analysts, and sometimes I get messages from another colleague with interesting facts. That’s how the story starts to form in my head, but really, only once the race is over, you can start building the show. It also depends on what quotes we get. So, the post-race show really takes form during the broadcast itself, and sometimes I hear in my in-ear monitor, ‘If you talk about that driver a bit more, we’ll have a quote from him soon.’ I really enjoy that. Sometimes, it comes down to filling a minute, which I also find fun.
My first time in the paddock was really cool. Zandvoort, that first year, was amazing for us. Being there and presenting ourselves as Viaplay was something we had really been looking forward to. The criticism was there, and it did lessen over time, but the real turning point came in Zandvoort. People saw us—we went to the stands, the campsites, the station—we were everywhere. And that’s when people realized we came in peace. We just wanted to create something beautiful and celebrate this event out of love for the sport. That shift was incredible. It was such an exciting experience to make TV there; so much was possible. Playing games with drivers, with fans, talking to more drivers and team bosses—there was so much we could do. We could offer a rich experience, and it went on and on from Thursday to Sunday almost non-stop.
I hope that the Amber on TV isn't too different from the Amber in real life. I used to be very perfectionistic, and it’s still in me, but I try to let go of it as much as possible. Because letting go leads to the best moments—spontaneity, creativity—and I try to do that more at home too. I notice that when I’m tired, I want everything to be perfect or I want to maintain control, but when I let go, it’s more relaxed for everyone. But I think I’m getting closer to myself on air. I think; This is me. A mistake now and then no longer keeps me up at night, but it used to. I could really dwell on it before. Now, I’m much more relaxed and kinder to myself. And it’s not fun to watch a perfectionist, because then it gets boring. So, I think I’m becoming more myself on screen."
Ambition, mistakes, and growth: Keys to success
We know very well that there are hundreds of girls who dream of working in motorsport or even Formula 1. We asked Amber to say something to all you girls who want to work in Formula 1, so ladies, pay attention and learn!
"Speak out your ambition, don’t be modest about it. Because if people don’t know what your goals are, what your dreams are, they can’t help you move forward. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Because you will make them. And you need to go through that—because you really learn the most from mistakes. They are uncomfortable, but that’s how you learn. Find a mentor or mentors, people around you, or people in the field who can help you. People who can give you tips, who can look at what you’re doing, or read what you’re writing. Seize opportunities, and just like I started as a volunteer at the local broadcaster, I could have thought, ‘I’m not earning anything here, I might as well deliver newspapers and earn something.’ But then I might not have ended up where I am now. So work hard, seize all opportunities, speak up, ask for help, make mistakes, and enjoy. Enjoy the ride. See where your path takes you. I started here, and now I’m there. I never expected this, but I’m having the time of my life.
Go with the flow, keep your goal in sight. Is this for me? Can I express myself here? Will this make me happy? That's the most important thing!"
Amber about Racingmedia Girls and Racingmedia Girls about Amber.
Amber: "Racingmedia girls do incredibly important work. I can still sense that, in people's minds, it's considered a male-dominated sport. Within Formula 1, you're doing important work, but you also show much more broadly that the sport is for everyone. That you don’t have to think in boxes. That’s why I’m happy to contribute to interviews like these. I sometimes get young girls who are interested in Formula 1, and I’m always the first to say, 'Hang in there! We’re few, but we’re here.' Don’t let the fact that you're a woman hold you back just because everyone thinks it’s a male-dominated industry."
Racingmedia Girls: I, Lola de Jong, want to sincerely thank you for this open conversation. It was incredibly nice and inspiring to hear your story up close. It was an honor to work with you last year and to get to know the real Amber better. I have immense respect for you as a presenter and hope that people will see that too, because you are very genuine, kind, and a truly strong woman! Keep doing what you’re doing—you are definitely an example for many girls!
Racingmedia Girls,
Lola de Jong
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