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Martin Brundle threatened to switch off mechanic's wheel gun in grid walk rage
Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle has enjoyed some spectacular moments during his iconic grid walks prior to races. Brundle revealed one of his lowest points doing them came when former McLaren CEO Ron Dennis switched off his power unit as he was going to the grid.
The former F1 driver has been doing the grid walk for 25 years now, interviewing drivers and celebrities to make for unintentionally brilliant entertainment. While it is understandable that some may not want to partake, Brundle has been blocked rather rudely by various figures.
One of which was former McLaren chief Ron Dennis.
Brundle explained: “A low point would be Ron Dennis here in Monaco when he switched my power unit off as I was coming down the grid. I went to Ron and said 'Hey, how would you like it if I switched off one of your wheel guns during a pitstop?’”
Ahead of last year’s United States Grand Prix, rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s bodyguard blocked Brundle which led to Formula 1 banning celeb’s bodyguards from joining them on the grid. The interaction went viral as fans around the world lauded Brundle for his ability to hilariously adapt to the moment.
At the inaugural Miami Grand Prix last month, Brundle mistook basketball player Paolo Banchero for NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and was ignored by Serena and Venus Williams. He also had to endure Pharrell Williams trying to show off Richard Mille watches.
There have undoubtedly been some sensational moments since Brundle began his pre-race walks at Silverstone ahead of the 1997 British Grand Prix. The 62-year-old picked some highs and lows when discussing his favourite moments, as well as one he didn’t particularly enjoy.
“Ozzy Osbourne would be one in Canada [in 2003],” Brundle told The Telegraph. “That was hilarious. Kimi Raikkonen when I said 'You missed the presentation by Pele. Will you get over it?' And he said ‘Yeah, I was taking a s---.’ That often gets mentioned in dispatches." The 22-race F1 2022 campaign - which is expected to return to a record 23 races in the near future once a Russian Grand Prix replacement is found - continues with the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte-Carlo on May 29.