Jeremy Clarkson looked to be having a lovely day at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2024, until he was approached for an interview by Martin Brundle on the grid.
The former Top Gear presenter, 62, seemed a little less sure of himself than usual as interviewer and former driver Martin approached him for a chat live on TV.
Before every Grand Prix kicks off, Martin walks up and down the the grid looking for famous faces to interview while drivers are getting ready, teams are making final preparations, and celebrities prowl.
The interviews often become controversial when famous faces with VIP lanyards refuse to speak to Martin, apparently unaware that he’s a legend of the sport. This happened in Silverstone last year when model Cara Delevingne refused a chat, and famously in 2021, when Megan Thee Stallion famously passed him by with bodyguards as protection.
But when the Clarkson’s Farm star was interviewed by Brundle today at the first race of the 2024 season, it got F1 fans chatting not because Clarkson knows nothing about F1, but because he looked sloshed.
Clarkson himself even admitted that he had, in fact, had a ‘few beers’ prior to the live interview.
Looking like a slightly amused rabbit in a headlight, Clarkson said he was well when asked by Brundle.
Clarkson then stroked his head looking perhaps a little hesitant at what Brundle was about to ask him live on Sky Sports, given his apparent state.
‘You declared your absolute love for Formula One on this grid last year, and I found you last night and you were engrossed even an hour after qualifying,’ Martin said.
With a bit of a slur, the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host began: ‘I’ve spent most of today looking at the lap times – that’s how boring I am – from last year to this year, and wondering what have they all been doing over the winter because the gaps, by in large, are the same.
‘McLaren are,’ he begins – perhaps ‘getting’ though this word was not clear – ‘a lot better, much closer to Max, and Lewis is an anomaly, but it’s a strange thing to go from one year to the next and for so little to have changed.’
While Clarkson was speaking, the camera left their conversation and instead it showed viewers a wide shot of the race track. Perhaps the producers had clocked Clarkson’s beer consumption.
‘Good stuff. You’re right, you’re right,’ Brundle said, seemingly unconvinced by Clarkson’s response.
Clarkson asked: ‘You weren’t listening to me were you?’
‘No not really, you lost me somewhere in there,’ replied a baffled Brundle.
The Grand Tour host continued: ‘People at home who are watching the sport will get what I’m saying, it’s a weird year this year I think.’
‘It is, and the cars they have this year will follow through to next year too. But who’s your money on?’ asked Brundle, trying to encourage some positivity from the TV personality.
Clarkson then delivered an almighty dead-pan blow, as instead of saying Max Verstappen or any of the other drivers, he simply responded: ‘Adrian Newey.’
‘Alright, good to see you Jeremy…’ Brundle said, before moving swiftly on.
Newey is chief technology officer of the Red Bull Racing – the team which has dominated the sport for a while now as Verstappen was crowned world champion in last three consecutive years.
One fan @MickCondon took to X and commented: ‘@JeremyClarkson had a few beers while on the grid walk.’
‘Yup,’ Clarkson replied, confirming many people’s suspicions.
‘I suspect Jeremy may have been in the champagne tent for a couple of hours before this!’ said @BennyG10001, while @AdzWhitcombe wrote: ‘He sounds weird. Doesn’t sound like normal.’
‘He looks weird, not the usual Clarkson,’ agreed @dennyrel.
Clarkson’s TV appearance didn’t end there, as he also got to wave Dutch world champion Verstappen over the line with the chequered flag.
Red Bull’s victory comes amid controversy surrounding its team principle Christian Horner, who has been under investigation for several weeks after a female employee of the F1 team accused him of ‘inappropriate and controlling behaviour’, claims the 50-year-old has always denied.
On Wednesday Red Bull announced that Horner had been cleared following a three-week internal probe conducted by an external lawyer.
But just 24 hours later, the allegations have resurfaced after messages – claiming to be between Horner and the complainant – were leaked to the media, F1 teams, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali.
Horner responded to the messages, as he said: ‘I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations.
‘I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.
‘It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.’
While outlets are claiming his wife, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is ‘stunned’ over the WhatsApp messages – and has been in ‘floods of tears’ and was ‘struggling to sleep or eat’ over the allegations – they put on a united front at today’s race as they appeared at the event hand-in-hand.
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