It comes up almost every year now. Personally… This feels so easy to fix. Just send someone out in front of Brundle to gauge everyone’s interest, or just tell him to back off a bit when he meets legitimate resistance. Why manufacturer drama like this? The sport just doesn’t need it in my opinion. He had two opportunities to not do what he did this weekend, but he pressed on.
Sure, it’s historical and all. But it just feels a little greasy to essentially force an interview on someone. Who is to say that Brundle can demand someone interview with him? Why are we owed that? I like Brundle and his way of interviewing, but I feel like he needs to be more respectful of those that aren’t there to be interviewed. We don’t own celebrities and no one is owed an interview simply because a celebrity decided to attend a race.
Thoughts?
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This the Cara Delevigne thing on the Silverstone grid walk?
These people are not just “attending a race”. They are on the grid minutes before a race, a grid that is heavily covered with cameras. As Martin says (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ3lKU8JpMo), it’s an explicit part of the deal now (after Miami) that if you want to be on the grid that you have to be willing to be interviewed. That seems a reasonable exchange for an amazing privilege. And if you’ve made that deal, you should hold up your end of the bargain.
The above argument didn’t apply in Miami because the rule wasn’t there. It was a more understandable incident. That said Miami still annoyed me. If you’re going to attend an F1 race and be granted these privileges, surely you should have a little respect for the sport, the people that are involved and the TV coverage? Most of us would jump at the chance to be on the grid, that opportunity felt wasted on someone if they’re only there to look cool and don’t care about where it is they’re doing that.
… it’s an explicit part of the deal now (after Miami) that if you want to be on the grid that you have to be willing to be interviewed…
Though I agree with your broader point that the grid is a restricted area that is hosting a media event and it’s a bit ridiculous to get surprised-pikachu about media interacting with you there… Martin was likely stretching a bit when he said there are now rules indicating that everyone has to be available to interview. In 2021, bodyguards were forbidden from the grid after the incident with Megan Thee Stallion. This makes it easier for media to approach celebrities, but doesn’t obligate them to participate. I linked to reporting on this in my top-level comment.
That said, I’d have no objection to a rule that DOES require participation. They’re on the grid in a promotional capacity. Expecting participation in a 30s interview is not bizarre.
Agreed. Too many celebs who know nothing about the sport and don’t care about it showing up for a fun party or to promote themselves, and then getting annoyed when they’re asked which driver they support or if they’re looking forward to the race.
You know and I think that’s okay. To a certain extent almost all professional sports will have celebs show up who have no interest in the sport. I agree with you that too many look disinterested or get annoyed when they’re approached by media for an interview. They’re obviously not the main attraction, and it wouldn’t kill them to feign interest, just say it’s cool, be honest and say they don’t know anything about the sport but are excited to experience the event and learn more about it. Even if it’s all a lie it goes a long way in improving their image, promoting this wonderful sport, and maybe even draw in some of that celebrities fans to actually check out f1. I mean that is the whole reason these celebrities are invited to the paddock and are shown in the team garage during races isn’t it?
Most but not all. I suppose if they’ve explicitly agreed to be interviewed, it’s lame to back out. But why does not interviewing with Brundle equate to not caring? What if they simply don’t want to engage in an interview? Impossible to be on the grid then? I feel like we don’t need to force that. But that’s just my opinion.
The grid walk interviews seldom offer anything meaningful. I wouldn’t be upset if they just didn’t happen.
I haven’t watched any pre-race coverage for years. I don’t feel like I’m missing out.
Yeah and getting a random actor/actress’ opinion has zero bearing on the race to me, so if said random person doesn’t want to participate, what have we all lost out on? Nothing. We are simply manufacturing controversy here for no reason. Again though, just my opinion.
I think you are all getting it wrong. The content they want is the content they got, on this occasion. The fact that it has gone viral is proof of this.
Martin is a bit less energetic these days than he used to be but he’s knowledgeable enough to know that that was all he was likely to get from that interaction and here we are talking about it.
The worst thing would be to lose the classic British dry wit and not have the sarcasm!
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Over this season I’ve migrated over to only watching the F1TV coverage and haven’t switched back to the Sky feed at all anymore. I don’t miss all the awkwardness over on Sky at all and the F1 coverage has caught up on anything that Sky was better at before.
Same. I like the F1TV guys a lot.
Agreed, I intentionally wait until the formation lap and lights out. All that hour long stuff beforehand is basically useless.
Who is to say that Brundle can demand someone interview with him?
F1 and the event organizers could do that if they chose. They haven’t, and unless there is some grid access clause that hasn’t been reported, Brundle appears to have been mistaken when he said that everyone has to speak… what the 2021 Brundle clause really does is restrict bodyguards from the grid, not require interview participation.
But the grid is a restricted area and F1 and the event organizers can attach conditions to its access. Celebrities get the access they get as a promotional arrangement, and I would have no problem at all with event organizers formally attaching media responsibilities to grid/paddock access and to eject and impose a future ban on anyone who fails to meet them.
Why are we owed that?
We’re not, but no one is owed access to the grid either. By leaving one’s private box to walk the grid you’re entering a live televised media pen and should expect that you’re likely to be approached by live media teams if you’re a figure of note (and sometimes even if you’re a nobody).
Agreed. I’m not aware of a clause forcing an interview, which is what my view is predicated upon. If there is a clause, I’m simply wrong and there’s no argument to be had.
Even in the absence of an explicit rule, I think Martin is largely on the right side of norms here.
- Cara is a guest of Alpha Romeo in a promotional capacity. She received the access she received BECAUSE of her celebrity status, and with the understanding (formal or informal) that her visit would be used to promote Alpha Romeo and F1 via association.
- The grid is a restricted area where multiple live media crews have announced their presence in advance, and where it is known that opportunistic interviews are conducted. Martin isn’t showing up in somebody’s back-yard birthday party and avoiding him is the easiest thing in the world. This would be a different story if he was lurking in the parking lot, outside hotels, or sneaking into team hospitality suites. If you don’t want to talk to Martin, don’t go on the grid and he won’t bother you.
- The nature of live media is such that, in snubbing the media crew, you’re transitively snubbing their audience as well. There’s no opportunity to not publish the story if the interview request doesn’t pan out, the story of the the interview request not panning out is published live as it happens. We’re riding on Martin’s shoulders while he gets rebuffed, and it’s happening to us too. Doing this to fans makes you a lousy promotional partner.
Because of the above conditions, IMO… you know what you sign up for when you enter the grid. It’s no different than a red-carpet event or any other media/press event. If you don’t want to interact with the press, no one is forcing you to go. If you go, and then get huffy about media wanting access to you, you suck as a promotional partner and teams should not invite you back (and should have clarified this beforehand and not have invited you in the first place if that’s how you felt).
As to Martin’s sass, I’m here for it. There’s one place in the world where he’s justified in shit-talking anyone who snubs him and I’d be disappointed if he didn’t.
That’s a fair take. I’m not passionately on anyone’s side, I just don’t like the idea of forcing participation. But you make good points.
I’ll never figure it out. The celebraterties on the grid are there to be seen. There’s no other reason. When Brundle puts a microphone in your face, you are actually being broadcast to 100’s of millions TVs worldwide. That’s really good on the seen ratio. What is the upside of refusing that?
Celebs want to control their image, control their interviews, and above all avoid looking dumb. That can be hard when someone randomly walks up and starts asking questions when you’re just there to take pics and rub elbows while the cars do vroom.
I stand by that at least half these celebs know nothing about F1. They aren’t cheering for any driver or team, they don’t care about McLarens new upgrades, they got invited through connections and just want a photo taken on the asphalt to add to their IG.
Who knew, when you try to compel live speech you get shitty speech. The interview exchange is the most contrived medium of exchange ever invented, it actually got a lot of push back when it was first invented or used in news media in the 1850s, presumably for coaxing and normalizing bullshit.
I don’t watch grid walks or anything outside of lights out / chequered flag because shoving cameras in faces of people is just a celebrity on celebrity toss off nowadays.
