F1 pundit Martin Brundle gets Marco Materazzis name wrong in awkward exchange

Martin Brundle is no stranger to awkward exchanges on his infamous F1 grid walks – and so it proved again in Australia as he messed up Marco Materazzi's name.

Sky Sports F1 pundit and co-commentator Brundle's strolls down the grid before a race are the stuff of legend, but they don't always go to plan. Arsenal star Hector Bellerin and American rapper Megan Thee Stallion have both been involved in cringeworthy moments with the iconic former driver over the years.

And on Sunday, it was the turn of 2006 World Cup winner Materazzi, whose name proved a problem for Brundle. Their chat didn't get off to a great start as the Englishman got the defender's name wrong twice, asking: "Are you Marco Marriachi? Matazzi?"

Materazzi kept his cool, asking the Sky Sports commentator how he was before Brundle quizzed the former footballer if he was a big Ferrari fan, a fair assumption given his Italian links. Materazzi said yes as Brundle moved on to asking the confused 48-year-old about which team he played for during his career.

Brundle then admitted he wasn't big into football with Materazzi replying "do you like football?" The ex-McLaren driver (that's Brundle, not Materazzi) then moved the conversation along to Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup following their shock play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

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"No Italy in the World Cup this year? Sorry to hear that," he fired back at a miffed looking Materazzi, who replied: "We speak about the Formula One."

Brundle ended the car crash interview by wishing the former Inter Milan man an enjoyable evening before walking away from the star and muttering: "Well, that didn’t go well."

Although the commentator's exchange with Materazzi was all lighthearted, things got a little heated when he spoke to rapper Megan Thee Stallion at last season's US Grand Prix.

After asking her a question, the rapper's entourage turned him away, with Brundle issuing a sassy response that went down a storm with F1 fans.

There was no such issue with Materazzi, and the Italian legend would have been thrilled as Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc extended his lead at the top of the championship with victory at Albert Park.

Leclerc is already 34 points clear at the summit, with Mercedes' George Russell in second on 37 points. Max Verstappen, his only likely rival to the title at this stage, is 46 points back after two retirements in the first three races of the season.

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