Martin Brundle has opened up on why he rarely talks with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on his F1 grid walks.
The Sky Sports presenter often goes viral for his talks with drivers and celebrities before races.
However, Brundle rarely gets the chance to talk with the likes off Hamilton and Russell – who are often focusing on the race itself, rather than anything else.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, the 65-year-old admitted that the way the grid becomes congested often makes it a problem trying to get comments from some of the sport’s biggest names.
F1 news: Martin Brundle has opened up on why he rarely talks with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on his grid walks
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“A good grid walk adds a little bit of important information about the day, the race, the cars, or one of the cars or one of the drivers in particular,” he said.
“I talk to a celeb or two, must talk to some drivers.
“I’m really disappointed if I don’t get to see some drivers which is getting near impossible actually to find a driver on the grid.
“A lot of them, like Lewis and George, go back to the stations in the garage and do a debrief on headphones.
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“A lot of the drivers do, they get off the grid, if it’s hot especially.
“They need to go and drink, they need to go to the bathroom and they don’t want to be bothered, you’re right.”
Over the years, there have been many memorable moments from Brundle’s grid walks.
In 2003, Ozzy Osbourne famously joked that his dogs were at home defacating – with Brundle forced to apologise after the rock star swore live on air.
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The Sky presenter was hilariously unfazed after Pep Guardiola’s security attempted to block his access to the Manchester City boss in 2022.
Brundle said he was ‘in charge’ when Kylian Mbappe’s security crowded round the France international earlier this year.
And there was an extremely awkward exchange between the 65-year-old and Cara Delevigne at the British Grand Prix in 2023.
As for Hamilton, the Mercedes star is currently preparing for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 24.
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He’ll be hoping to bounce back after toiling in the Brazilian GP earlier this month.
The F1 legend has just three races left with the Silver Arrows before he departs for Ferrari next year.
And Kimi Antonelli, his placement, has admitted he’s enjoying learning from Hamilton while he still can as he prepares for his big promotion.
“Who better to learn off than drivers like Lewis and George?” he said.
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“Building a relationship with George will be important for next year, and seeing how Lewis works with the team has been super cool to watch because he has so much experience. He really helps you understand the way he works.
“I don’t want to bother them during a weekend, but sometimes I ask for advice or ask for why they made a certain decision.
“They are both amazing. It’s been great to work with them both.”