Martin Brundle insists legendary Queen guitarist Brian May that he does not need to apologise for his snub at Silverstone.

May was present at the British GP and was in amongst activity on the grid and in the paddock ahead of Sunday’s race when former racer and Sky Sports reporter Brundle twice approached for interview but was rebuffed each time. An awkward interaction ensued as Brundle narrated his attempts while the 76-year-old was a guest of the Mercedes garage.

The musician was able to watch on as Lewis Hamilton claimed victory in Northamptonshire to stand atop the podium for the first time since 2021. The seven-time world champion recorded a record ninth win at a single circuit, to finish ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

While May was present for an exciting day for the home crowd, he could not help but apologise for his limited interaction with Brundle. The astrophysics postgraduate, explained he was simply nervous.

“I had a great day at Silverstone thanks to the kindness of the Mercedes team and my grandson had some truly historic birthday moments,” May wrote on his website.

“And by the way, apologies to Mr Brundle. Absolutely no intention of snubbing you. All you see is someone who is nervous of speaking about something of which he has little understanding and anxious to get to where he is supposed to be.”

It was not long before Brundle returned with an apology of his own. The veteran interviewer took to X to provide his view of events.

Natalie Pinkham and Martin Brundle ( 
Image:
Simon Galloway)
“It is me who should be apologising to Sir Brian May, not him to me for the gridwalk on Sunday at Silverstone,” he posed. “I didn’t address him as Sir Brian, and I shouldn’t have approached him twice when he wasn’t up for a chat on live TV. Nobody is ever obliged to talk to me on the grid, or anywhere else for that matter.”

Despite a Forumla 1 career of his own and a win at Le Mans in 1990, Brundle is probably now most famous for his interviews ahead of F1 races. The 65-year-old has seen some iconic moments on the grid, though it can often involve rejection from some of the world’s biggest celebrities.

In 2022, Brundle admitted he does not enjoy that part of his job. “There’s a reason why I’ve never watched back an F1 gridwalk in a quarter of a century of doing them,” he said.

“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.”