Martin Brundle names Sam Ryder as celebrity that surprised him the most at F1

Martin Brundle has named Sam Ryder as his favourite celebrity interviewee after being left surprised by the music star’s enthusiasm at this year’s British Grand Prix. Brundle has established himself as a fan favourite owing to his popular grid walk segment on Sky Sports, which sees him rushing around to speak with famous guests in the build-up to races.

The segment often leads to awkward conversations with celebrity attendees who are clearly not interested in F1 and, in some cases, have turned their noses up when approached for an interview. The likes of Meghan Thee Stallion and Cara Delevingne have been criticised by viewers for refusing to speak, although some guests are more than happy to offer Brundle a few moments of their time.

Ryder was one of the exceptions to the rule when he enjoyed a heartwarming chat with Brundle prior to the British Grand Prix earlier this year. The Sky pundit has since revealed that it was one of his favourite interviews to date after being left surprised by Ryder’s infectious enthusiasm for the sport.

Taking questions from viewers on the Sky Sports website, Brundle was asked: “Has there been one celeb that surprised you the most as they were an F1 fan?” He replied: “Sam Ryder. He was effusive, and thrilled and contacted me on Instagram afterwards. I’ve never seen a bloke so excited to be on the grid.”

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The grid walks rarely go without a hitch as a result of some celebrities turning Brundle down or simply not knowing who he is. The segment has produced some iconic moments over the years, though, leading to it becoming a favourite among Sky Sports viewers.

Brundle previously admitted that he is not the biggest fan of conducting the grid walks, given the hustle and bustle of the grid itself and the pressure of finding people to speak to on live TV.

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He posted on social media last year: “There’s a reason why I’ve never watched back an F1 grid walk in a quarter of a century of doing them. You have no idea how much I dislike doing them but somehow those crazy moments have defined my professional career. Oh well, that’s the way it is.”

The 64-year-old later revealed in an interview with GQ that he much prefers speaking to drivers before races as opposed to celebrity guests, saying: “They know you’ve been there, you’ve done it, you’ve seen it, you’ve crashed the car, and you’re going to ask something relevant or personal.

“I never tried to drop kick them or get clever with the questions, I think that would be unfair, so it tends to be quite happy and smashy and nicey conversation. I’m not really going to be hitting them with: ‘I heard your contract is up soon’, or something like that. It’s going to be relevant to the race, but generally speaking, they trust me.”

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