Martin Brundle is known for his quick wit and sense of humour on the F1 grid and the Sky Sports pundit was in fine form when he met Christian Horner at the Singapore Grand Prix
Martin Brundle once savaged Christian Horner in Singapore(Image: Getty)
Martin Brundle once delivered a devastating blow to former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner at the Singapore Grand Prix with a superb one-liner.
The ex-Formula 1 driver has established himself as a legendary figure through his Sky Sports grid walks and has been prowling the grid before races for nearly three decades, starting in 1997. He still delights fans with his spontaneous interviews.
On Sunday, moments before Mercedes’ George Russell secured an improbable Singapore GP triumph, Brundle had viewers in stitches as he confused singer Lewis Capaldi with his younger sibling. At the same venue in 2014, Brundle was equally sharp as he playfully sparred with former Red Bull chief Horner.
The pair encountered each other on the grid at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore 11 years ago when Horner was still at Red Bull, sparking an amusing exchange.
“Shame you’re too old to have driven here, really, you would have liked it,” joked an entertained Horner when Brundle approached him about the circuit.
After pausing briefly to craft a clever response, Brundle replied: “I am too old to have driven here. Shame you weren’t fast enough to get into Formula 1!”
Horner left Red Bull this summer(Image: Getty)
Horner could only chuckle at the brutal retort as the interview concluded and former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone looked on with a smile. Brundle clocked up 12 seasons behind the wheel in F1 and secured nine podium spots during his career, reports the Express.
The 66-year-old shared the grid with legends including Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. Conversely, Horner harboured dreams of F1 racing but never progressed beyond Formula 3000.
He hung up his helmet just as Brundle was embarking on his broadcasting journey with Sky Sports. July saw the announcement that Horner would be stepping down from his Red Bull role amid both racing and personal scandals.
The team principal’s departure was officially confirmed in September, with the 51-year-old reportedly banking £52m as compensation for his terminated contract.
During a chat with Justin Bell on the Drive to Wynn Podcast, Horner revealed the moment he realised his driving ambitions wouldn’t materialise. He particularly remembered a telling episode during pre-season testing back in 1998.
“I remember driving out the pit lane in Portugal and there was a very fast right-hander at the end of the straight,” Horner began, referring to the Portuguese track at Estoril.
“So as you come out of the pits and I remember [Juan Pablo] Montoya coming past me and I just saw this car at an angle that I couldn’t even imagine, let alone replicate and the commitment that he had in this high-speed corner, you could see the rim trying to pop out the side of the tyre.
“And there’s a barrier 10 meters from the side of the track. And I just thought, I just can’t do that. My head and foot are too connected. I knew at that point that my driving days… I was going to stop at the end of the year.”