Formula 1 fans were divided as Martin Brundle made a major change to his usual pre-race grid walk at the United States Grand Prix. The Sky Sports favourite is loved for his usual live segment and the US GP in Texas usually throws up some memorable moments as a swathe of celebrities descend upon the grid.
But he mixed up the format on this occasion has he invited one of those famous faces to present with him. Hollywood actor Glen Powell, a star of Top Gun: Maverick and upcoming movie The Running Man, among other credits, was by Brundle’s side, armed with a Sky Sports microphone and earpiece.
Naturally, as only a casual F1 fan, he could not offer the sharp level of insight brought to the table by Brundle. And, instead of interviewing other famous faces, the unlikely duo spent the first half of the grid walk talking to each other as the former F1 driver explained some basic elements of the sport to Austin native Powell.
Fans on social media offered vastly differing opinions on the departure from the usual format. One fan who clearly enjoyed it wrote: “Glen Powell is being awesome on the pitwalk with Martin Brundle, great questions!” And another said: “Really enjoying this Brundle and Glen Powell chit chat.”
But many others were not impressed. One fan complained: “Well done Sky Sports F1 for taking the hugely popular Martin Brundle grid walk and completely ruining it by forcing a dry personality passenger.” And another critic wrote: “If Martin Brundle just gets rid of that random guy, he can stop mansplaining what everyone already knows.”
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One fan noted an apparent lack of chemistry on screen between the two men which they found jarring. They wrote: “Glen Powell asking all these questions on the grid and Martin Brundle giving them no time of day? A very odd segment – it’s like they’ve been told to do complete opposite things?”
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