F1 introduced Martin Brundle rule which was broken at British Grand Prix

A rule known as the ‘Martin Brundle clause’ was broken at last weekend’s British Grand Prix as the veteran Sky Sports broadcaster was snubbed by Cara Delevingne before the start of the race. Brundle serves as a co-commentator alongside David Croft at most Grand Prix weekends but is also tasked with interviewing celebrities, drivers and team principals during his grid walk before getting behind the microphone.

The popular pre-race segment has thrown up a number of controversies in the past and did not disappoint on Sunday as Brundle found himself in an awkward spot while attempting to interview Delevingne. The London-born model and actress was sounded out by Brundle on the grid but declined to speak with him before he was hurried along by her security team.

Brundle tried to explain that celebrities are expected to take part in interviews when they are on the grid, but he was quickly shut down by a member of Delevingne’s entourage. She then used the excuse that she could not hear Brundle before later claiming on social media that she was told to reject an interview with him prior to entering the grid.

The incident saw Delevingne defy the expectation that celebrities on the grid should speak with Brundle if they are approached for an interview before the start of a race. The measures, which also forbid A-listers from bringing their own security teams, were introduced after Brundle was shut down by Megan Thee Stallion’s bodyguard in a similar situation at the United States Grand Prix two years ago.

He said on Sky Sports: “There have been new rules introduced that any celebrities on the grid must not have bodyguards any longer. It must be the ‘Brundle clause’, and they’re obliged to talk to me. I sort of like it if they ignore me, to be honest.”

The rule was implemented by F1 chiefs in the wake of Brundle’s unsavoury interaction with Megan Thee Stallion’s bodyguard in Austin, while he has previously been snubbed by the likes of Brad Pitt, David Beckham and Serena Williams at previous Grand Prix weekends.

However, it has since been clarified that the rule does not explicitly order celebrities to accept interviews on the grid, with a spokesperson telling Planet F1: “Celebrities aren’t obliged to do interviews whilst on the grid, but security entourages are now no longer allowed to accompany them on there.”

Brundle has previously taken to Twitter to slam celebrities who refuse to give pre-race interviews, with the 64-year-old urging those responsible and their bodyguards to ‘learn some manners’ before stepping into the world of F1. He has also said that he enjoys calling out those who he feels do not have a genuine interest in the sport, before admitting that he fails to understand why his grid walks are so popular with TV viewers.

“I like to call out some of the celebs I think are just using the grid a little bit, if I’m honest,” he said in 2021. “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 One fan, not them’.

“But my claim to fame at last. I get ignored by Megan Thee Stallion, I get biffed out of the way by a man mountain and then told off by a Malfoy lookalike who doubtless was on his first ever time to a Formula One grid. I put out a simple tweet about it and got five million impressions. I don’t understand any of that, to be honest.

“I like the challenge and it makes me nervous because it’s eight or nine minutes of live television, unscripted, unrehearsed, and just go. It makes me nervous mostly because it’s my alter ego. I’ve had some classically good moments on the grid and some classically bad ones.”

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