10 July 2023 , 14:42
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The Formula 1 team which invited Cara Delevingne to the British Grand Prix grid has weighed in on the controversy regarding her decision to snub Martin Brundle on his pre-race grid walk.
The Sky Sports pundit traditionally hosts the segment shortly before the start of a race. He walks up and down the grid and chats with team officials and invited guests alike, with all encouraged to take part.
No-one is obliged to speak and there have been several high-profile examples of Brundle being snubbed live on air. And it happened on Silverstone on Sunday when he walked up to Delevingne.
He was initially rebuffed by a member of staff before he then just asked the actress for a chat directly. But she declined, before seeming to pretend as though she could not hear him.
It has been a hot topic of debate on social media. Some believe she was well within her rights to say no, while others feel celebrities should be obliged to fulfil such media commitments when invited to the F1.
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She was in the paddock and on the grid as a guest of the Alfa Romeo. On Monday, the team posted a video featuring several clips of what she got up to over the course of the day.
In the post, the team wrote: "Thanks for spending the day with us, @Caradelevingne! It was a pleasure to show you the world of F1 and teach you more about this incredible sport."
Some of those who replied to that post were critical of Delevingne's decision to turn down Brundle's approach. In response to one of those posts, which accused her of being "rude" to the Sky Sports pundit, the team appeared to criticise the broadcaster.
The official Alfa Romeo F1 Team account wrote: "Respect goes both ways: nobody should be placed in an uncomfortable situation or forced to do things against their will."
Also writing on social media, Delevingne responded to an assertion from a fan that Brundle was "just doing it to manufacture the moment for the controversy of it all", by stating: "I was told to say no so I did. Thank you for seeing both sides xxx."
However, Brundle's Sky Sports colleague Karun Chandhok wrote on his own account: "I honestly think we should have a 'chart of rudeness' in F1! Next time, take the grid passes from people who don't care and give it some deserving kids who will treasure the experience."