09 May 2023 , 12:26
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Martin Brundle declared his affection for "true friend" Sir Jackie Stewart after the Formula 1 legend's run-in with a security guard while trying to help him on the Miami Grand Prix grid.
The incident was caught by the Sky Sports TV cameras towards the end of Brundle's grid walk segment. With just a few seconds left, he wanted to have a brief chat with Roger Federer.
The tennis legend was in a VIP section of the grid, posing for selfies with fans, as he waited for the action to begin. Brundle shouted his name several times in an Alan Partridge-esque attempt to get the Swiss' attention, but Federer could not hear.
Luckily, he had 83-year-old Sir Jackie close by, who wasted no time at all before leaping to his rescue. The Scot slipped by one security guard, but another came across to block his progress before he could reach the tennis legend.
It took an F1 official to tell the guard who it was he had blocked before Stewart was allowed to walk up to Federer. And, he duly returned with the Swiss in tow, just in time for Brundle ask a couple of quick questions before the pre-race driver presentation event began.
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Brundle got his Federer interview thanks to Sir Jackie's help (Sky Sports)Sharing a clip of the incident, Brundle wrote on social media: "[Stewart] has been a guiding light of my life for 40 years. Love the man to bits. And he's got my back, what more could you ask from a true friend?"
Brundle's reaction to the incident comes after Stewart responded himself to what happened. The Scot took to Instagram to post a photo of himself with Federer, Mercedes driver George Russell and Brundle in the background, reacting to the the incident with typical good humour.
"The security did a good job bringing me back behind the ropes," wrote the three-time F1 world champion. "I haven't had to sneak past security in a while, but anything for you @martinbrundlef1! Thank you to @rogerfederer for being a good sport."
Fans on social media were in full agreement about the incident and that it should never have occurred. One fan summed it up when they wrote: "I would have assumed Jackie Stewart went where Jackie Stewart pleased on an F1 grid."