The Miami GP weekend is one of the most sought-after events for A-listers across the globe. However, homeboy, Logan Sargeant is not too excited by the mention of their presence. The young Williams driver criticized how their presence at the Grands Prix spoils the atmosphere of the paddock.
In the build-up to his home Grand Prix, Sargeant was speaking on the Fast and the Curious podcast. When asked about his opinions on celebrities visiting the Miami paddock, Sargeant began by admitting that he has nothing against the stars themselves. Rather, it was their bodyguards that the 23-year-old has a problem with.
The American driver explained, “I’m not a huge fan of their bodyguards. They kinda just, you know, bomb through the paddock like they own it. So, they are a bit rude.” Last year’s Miami GP was a star-studded affair with the likes of Tom Cruise and Roger Federer in attendance.
The immense amount of celebrities on the grid last year meant that the security staff would’ve run a bit thin in terms of the overall management of the Grand Prix weekend. Hence, there were a few reported incidents of misbehavior during the weekend, too. So, the Miami GP organizers may take Logan Sargeant’s concern a bit seriously.
Celebrity controversies at F1 Grands Prix are not uncommon
In the past, there have been quite a few celebrity bust-ups in the paddock when the sport has risen and supported their side. Martin Brundle is famous for his grid-walks. In this video segment, the British motoring legend has often had to deal with some awkward celebrity encounters.
Last year’s Miami GP gave a perfect example of what Logan Sargeant referred to. Brundle wanted to have a chat with Roger Federer and this led to Sir Jackie Stewart trying to approach the Swiss tennis legend. However, Federer’s bodyguards blocked the three-time F1 champion from doing so.
Formula 1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart was manhandled by security at the Miami Grand Prix.
The 83-year-old hilariously broke through a VIP barrier live on TV to drag Roger Federer to a grid-walk interview with Sky’s Martin Brundle.#MiamiGP #F1 #seanknows pic.twitter.com/NYWxlubVjA
— Sean Cardovillis (@seancardo) May 8, 2023
Eventually, Stewart managed to get Federer’s attention to get him to chat with Brundle. However, this underscores the issue Sargeant is trying to highlight.
At the British GP too, Brundle was seemingly snubbed by supermodel, Cara Delevigne. The Briton was interviewing her on behalf of Sky Sports F1. However, the British model-actress was not interested in speaking to him. In the aftermath, she was dealt with a lot of criticism on social media by F1 fans.
Even Hollywood star, Brad Pitt had once given Brundle the cold shoulder at the 2022 US GP. However, he made up for it later when he granted Brundle a lengthy interview against the backdrop of him promoting his latest venture – a Formula 1-themed Hollywood blockbuster.
That being said, celebrity run-ins haven’t all been bad. Back at the 2023 Spanish GP, cinema icons, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones actually complimented Brundle for being a stalwart of the sport’s broadcasting industry.
