During the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix gridwalk on Sunday, Hollywood star Ana de Armas became the latest celebrity to leave Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle empty-handed. The 37-year-old Cuban actress, best known for her role as Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die, was spotted chatting with Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari garage and had earlier expressed her excitement about attending the season finale. However, when Brundle approached her with his microphone, she politely but firmly declined the interview and kept walking.
The moment was captured on camera and quickly went viral, sparking a wave of criticism from Formula 1 fans on social media. Many accused de Armas of being rude or ungrateful for the rare grid access. Comments ranged from “Ana de Armas how dare you ignore Brundle” to “Remember whose sport this is – very lucky to be on the grid and you snub an interview.” Several fans echoed the sentiment that celebrities who aren’t willing to speak should not be given passes in the first place.
This isn’t the first time Brundle has been brushed off during his famous gridwalks. In 2023, model Cara Delevingne refused to talk to him at Silverstone, prompting Brundle’s colleague Karun Chandhok to suggest the FIA create a “chart of rudeness” and revoke passes from disrespectful guests in favor of passionate young fans. Brundle himself has shared stories of tricky encounters, including being physically blocked by minders while trying to approach David Beckham in Qatar and struggling to reach Shaquille O’Neal’s microphone because of the NBA legend’s height.
Brundle has also joked about the challenges of interviewing towering American sports stars on U.S. grids, saying he now carries a longer microphone cable just in case. While he admitted the Beckham incident felt “a little bit scary,” he noted that the vast majority of his celebrity interactions are positive and enjoyable.
Despite the occasional snub, Brundle’s gridwalks remain one of the most entertaining parts of the F1 broadcast, and fans were quick to rally behind the broadcasting icon after Sunday’s incident in Abu Dhabi.
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