Sky Sports F1 apologise as Christian Horner gives Ted Kravitz middle finger

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner (Image: AP)
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner (Image: AP)

Formula 1 commentator David Croft had to apologise to viewers after broadcasting Christian Horner showing his middle finger to reporter Ted Kravitz.

It came as part of a light-hearted exchange between them during practice on Friday. The session had gone on long into the night after first practice was cancelled and the second was delayed by two-and-a-half hours after a manhole cover came loose and damaged two cars.

While the cars were on track, pit lane reporter Kravitz engaged with some live on-air banter with Red Bull team boss Horner. The Sky Sports broadcaster referenced the fact that Horner's 50th birthday had gone on for much longer than he had expected.

And the Red Bull chief was clearly listening tot he airwaves as Kravitz spoke. "I think he's wearing his natty new glasses on the pit wall... and who can blame him?" he said, before cracking a joke.

"Who, approaching 50 years old, would wear their glasses in the pit lane, wanting to pretend that the actually don't need them? Who would do that?" Kravitz, always happy to poke fun at himself as well as others, was wearing his own glasses.

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Sky colleague Karun Chandhok pointed out at that point that Horner, who did not have his glasses on at the time, had turned around. And the camera with Kravitz zoomed in on the Red Bull pit wall, only for the team boss to send a less-than-subtle middle finger to Kravitz while wearing a wry smile.

"Christian, where are the glasses? Put the glasses back on!" shouted Kravitz before he noticed what was happening. He then added: "Oh, he's giving me a happy little greeting there. Honestly, every time I keep putting a compliment Christian's way, he doesn't like it. He's 50 and I'm approaching 50 and we both need the glasses now. And the glasses are on."

Sky Sports F1 apologise as Christian Horner gives Ted Kravitz middle fingerRed Bull team principal Christian Horner sent a subtle message to Ted Kravitz live on air (Sky Sports)

Commentator Croft noticed that as well as he hastily said sorry for the mishap. "He did put the glasses on eventually, thank you Christian. And apologies if you were offended by the hand signals that were going on from the Red Bull pit wall," he said.

It was a light-hearted moment at the end of a farcical day for F1's new crown jewel. The damage done to Carlos Sainz's Ferrari by the loose manhole cover was bad enough, but the delays meant that all the fans were sent home before any meaningful running could be done, meaning practice was effectively held behind closed doors.

But Mercedes boss Toto Wolff angrily snapped back at the suggestion that it was an embarrassment for F1. "That is not a 'black eye' – this is nothing," he snapped. "We are [on] Thursday night, we have a free practice session one that we're not doing. They're going to seal the drain covers and nobody's going to talk about that tomorrow morning anymore."

Daniel Moxon

David Croft, Ted Kravitz, Red Bull F1, Christian Horner, Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sky Sports, Formula 1

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