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Formula 1 fans left seeing red over Sky Sports’ grid walk decision

Formula 1 fans were left seeing red on Monday morning when the host broadcaster made a monstrous change to a famous pre-race segment.

F1 fans weren't happy with Sky Sports
F1 fans weren't happy with Sky Sports

Formula 1 fans were not happy on Monday morning ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix getting underway.

Fans settled in for the fourth last race of the season after a chaotic qualifying session on Sunday left the race wide open.

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But joy quickly turned to anger when the coverage turned to the famed grid walk in the moments before the green lights went out.

Martin Brundle has delivered countless viral moments as he storms up and down the grid, throwing his microphone in the face of celebrities and drivers.

On Monday morning however, the Sky Sports specialist was nowhere to be seen as Danica Patrick and Bernie Collins took the reins.

Patrick, the former IndyCar driver, and Collins, former Aston Martin engineer, strolled up and down the grid as they took over the famous segment.

F1 fans weren't happy with Sky Sports
F1 fans weren't happy with Sky Sports

The call to not have Brundle out doing what he does best didn’t sit well with fans who took to social media to vent their frustration. Patrick in particular copped the wrath of F1 fans.

One user wrote: “Danica Patrick seemingly doing the grid walk instead of Martin Brundle is about as bad as it gets. Just get her off the coverage, for f***’s sake. She brings ZERO insight or knowledge of Formula One.”

Another wrote: “Where has @MBrundleF1 grid walk gone, cmon #SkyF1 this is why I watch 1 hr before green light. Bernie is great with Tech talk but she is no Martin Brundle!”

A third added: “Are Sky really this clueless about the voice of it’s audience? Constant comments about how awful Danica Patrick is and yet appears to have been told to LEAD the grid walk in place of Martin Brundle? Taking the piss out of all of our monthly subscriptions.”

Brundle’s growing list of grid walk moments have sent the Formula 1 world into a spin throughout the entirety of the 2023 season.

Fans were left in stitches at the US Grand Prix after he was forced to awkwardly wait his turn to speak to British boxer Anthony Joshua.

Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri was dealt a brutal burn when the Sky Sports presenter bailed on him mid-answer.

In Miami it was three-time F1 champ Jackie Stewart who stole the limelight after he was almost manhandled during the grid walk shenanigans.

Hollywood power couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones won fans over with their classy interview ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

At the British Grand Prix it was musician Sam Ryder who drew widespread praise for his infectious banter while speaking with Brundle.

But the most famous incident of all also came at the British Grand Prix when Cara Delevingne was brutally roasted after snubbing Brundle.

Originally published as Formula 1 fans left seeing red over Sky Sports’ grid walk decision

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one/formula-1-fans-left-seeing-red-over-sky-sports-grid-walk-decision/news-story/b7e9b36d982f20befe4bd9335e5be469