Lewis Hamilton has STOPPED talking to Martin Brundle during F1 grid walks, reveals the mystified Sky Sports pundit – as he admits he was once reluctant to interview David Beckham because he ‘doesn’t like bothering people’
- Martin Brundle has interviewed racers and celebrities at F1 grid walks for years
- He claims that Lewis Hamilton used to talk before races but now chooses not to
- Hamilton has endured a tough season this year with Mercedes’ car struggling
- The Sky Sports pundit raced for McLaren and Williams between 1984 and 1996
Sky Sports F1 pundit Martin Brundle has revealed that Lewis Hamilton has ‘stopped’ talking to him during his famous pre-race grid walks.
The 63-year-old has been interviewing the sport’s biggest stars and celebrities on the track before races for over a decade..
And, although he maintains a good relationship with the majority of drivers, Brundle has now revealed that there are some racers who ‘will never talk’ to him.
Martin Brundle says Lewis Hamilton has ‘stopped’ doing grid walk interviews at F1 races
In an interview with GQ, Brundle said: ‘I never tried to dropkick them or get clever with the questions. I think that would be unfair, so it tends to be quite happy and smashy and nicey conversation.
‘I’m not really going to be hitting them with an, “I heard your contract is up soon” or something like that. It’s going to be relevant to the race, but generally speaking they trust me.
‘A few of them will just shake their head and then even apologise later on. Or some come up to me in the paddock and go, “You haven’t seen me on the grid for ages, just come and talk to me on the grid”.
‘And then others will never talk. Lewis [Hamilton] used to talk to me a lot and then stopped. So, we take it as it comes.’
Brundle says although Hamilton frequently used to talk at the grid walks, he now prefers not to
Brundle claims that there are some racers who even approach him for interviews but Hamilton is not one of them anymore.
The two F1 icons did sit down together for Sky Sports’ show surrounding the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix in 2020 but aside from that, they’ve rarely been seen together on the track since the 2019 season.
Perhaps adding to that was Hamilton’s underwhelming season for Mercedes this year as he struggled to get to grips with their new car and slipped down the standings.
The pair are seen chatting after Hamilton’s victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2019
Brundle was also asked whether he ever feels reluctant to approach certain drivers or celebrities.
He continued: ‘I thought that about David Beckham, and then eventually I did get in his face in Miami. I was being man-marked by a couple of guys in Qatar that didn’t want anybody near him there. So, I was pretty determined to speak to him.
‘And then when I did, I thought, “I don’t know why I bothered”, basically. I didn’t feel good about it, particularly. I don’t like bothering people. If they don’t want to talk to you, they don’t want to talk to you. There’s plenty of people who do.
‘You’ve got to remember: I’ve been on a Formula 1 grid for 38 years, well over half the life of Formula 1. I’ve been to well over half the grands prix in the history of Formula, so I feel pretty comfortable in that space. I feel it’s my territory.’
Brundle says he didn’t enjoy interviewing David Beckham as he felt he was ‘bothering’ him
Brundle forged a successful racing career after stints with McLaren and Williams between 1984 and 1996 before retiring and becoming a reporter within the sport.
His pre-race ritual involves navigating the grid and speaking to as many drivers and celebrities as possible – which has culminated in some iconic clips over the years.
The likes of DJ Khaled, Megan Thee Stallion and Pharrell Williams have all provided some viral content when speaking with the Sky Sports pundit.
Hamilton is currently sixth in the 2022 drivers standings and below team-mate George Russell
