Martin Brundle in Ozzy Osbourne tribute at Belgian GP – 'My favourite grid walk guest'
Martin Brundle began his grid walk at the Belgian Grand Prix with a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The rock legend died last week, aged 76, less than three weeks after his farewell concert with his band Black Sabbath in Birmingham.
Osbourne was loved by millions worldwide and also captured the hearts of Formula 1 fans many years ago with a memorable appearance on one of Brundle's pre-race grid walks. The broadcaster usually spends some time walking up and down the grid before a Grand Prix to speak with famous faces.
A particularly memorable walk happened when Osbourne was a VIP guest at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Many reporters tried to speak with him but Brundle, working for ITV at the time, managed to get to the front of the queue – not that he could get much sense out of the rocker.
And he had to cut the interview short when Osbourne swore unexpectedly, in an exchange which Brundle later reflected upon. The Brit said: "He wasn't fully with it, shall we say. I asked him a question and he gave me a very long, incomprehensible answer.
"I said to him, 'I'll try and think of a question to that, but in the meantime how are the dogs?' And he said, 'They are at home s****** on the carpets.' It went out live to millions of people and I got in trouble because I was supposed to have known he would swear if I asked that question."
That memorable moment resurfaced on social media in the days after Osbourne's death last week. And Brundle took the opportunity to say a few words about the departed music legend as he began his grid walk ahead of Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix at a rain-soaked Circuit Spa-Francorchamps.
Speaking live on Sky Sports, the broadcaster said: "A quick word for probably my most favourite ever grid walk guest: Ozzy Osbourne. Condolences to your family and friends, we will miss you. Rest in peace I don't think quite fits for Ozzy Osbourne."
While Osbourne may have landed Brundle in a bit of bother with his loose language, he did at least engage with the broadcaster, who has branded his grid walks in general as "car crash television". While many stars are happy to converse with the ex-F1 driver on the grid, some have notoriously snubbed him.
Earlier this year, he told the Daily Mail: "The grid walk actually really annoys me because that's what I'm known for now. The whole thing is still a mystery. I won a lot of races as a driver and was on the F1 podium. I was World Sportscar Champion, winner at Le Mans, beat Ayrton Senna a lot of times in F3.
"I was a reasonably handy racing driver and I'm a reasonably handy commentator but all I'm going to be remembered for is getting ignored on the grid by the Megan Thee Stallion and other people I'd never heard of until that moment. It's quite a funny thing but I can't knock it, heading towards 66, I'm lucky to still be in live sport and that's why I was pleased with the OBE because it wasn't an OBE just for grid-walking."
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