Martin Brundle put a pushy boor in his place after being shoved during his grid walk at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Brundle’s grid walks for Sky Sports are a staple of every Formula One fan’s diet and often throw up hilarious scenarios as the reporter rubs shoulders with A-list and Z-list celebrities.
But fans often complain that an increasing number of nobodies with limited interest in the sport are being granted access to the grid to boost their social media feeds.
The Monaco grid was as busy as ever on Sunday, with hundreds of people packed into the tight space under the French Riviera sun.
And Brundle spoke out when one chap apparently became too obnoxious and tried to shove him out of the way.
‘Don’t push me mate, I’m nearly famous,’ Brundle quipped, witheringly, stopping an intruder in his tracks before continuing with his broadcast.
Martin Brundle put a pushy man in his place during his grad walk after allegedly being shoved
He was also aired by Kim Kardashian in a chaotic build-up ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix
Brundle often uses sarcasm to deal with the increasingly rude palette of people he meets on the grid.
Kim Kardashian, who is dating Lewis Hamilton, also came under fire on Sunday for blanking the Sky Sports doyen.
Brundle approached her, identified himself, and asked ‘how are you today?’ but received no reply from the 45-year-old.
Kardashian had clearly seen Brundle and the Sky Sports crew but did not so much as acknowledge his presence.
He pressed on, saying, ‘normally people have a quick chat with us, are you enjoying Formula 1?’ but was met with a dismissive tip of the head and a wall of silence, though she did also smile.
The American’s security team then blocked him off from her. Fortunately, Max Verstappen soon came along and, despite being much busier, was able to have a quick word.
Celebrities are not required to interview Brundle – though he often insists it is part of the deal on the grid – but they are obliged to be polite if they decline to speak.
Autosport reported in 2021: ‘While celebrities on the grid are not required to give interviews to the media, they will be asked to be courteous should they decline to speak.’
And Brundle once told The Sun: ‘I like to call out some of the celebs that I think are just using the grid a little bit if I’m honest. They don’t really have a passion.
‘I know there are millions of fans at home going: “I should be on that grid. I’m a massive Formula 1 fan, not them.”
