Elizabeth, you are awesome. You are one of the best things about Jalopnik. We’ve met at Watkins Glen. I respect you a lot. Respectfully, you are dead wrong on this.

He didn’t have a problem with her being there until she and her entourage decided to make themselves larger than the event in which they were participating as guests.

Martin Brundle is right and Elizabeth Blackstock is wrong.

Did anyone catch the Mexico GP grid walk? Martin’s interview with, was it Travon Free? Correct me if I’m wrong. But after a quick chat Martin pretended to walk off with his Oscar trophy, when his friend/assistant/other guy stepped in and cleverly said, “You can’t do that, even though you just did”. I got a good…

Yeah, but this article is arguing that somehow the creation of that policy is at least tone-deaf from F1. I don’t disagree with your summary of events. I disagree with the absurd presentation of facts that occur across this entire family of websites over the past few years.

Elizabeth, you’re one of my favorite writers here, especially when it comes to F1, but this take? I feel like it’s a stretch. No, Brundle isn’t important, but no more or less than the celebs on the grid he’s occasionally talking to. The sport doesn’t need either on any given weekend to succeed.

It was a thought provoking moment. On one side - we have one of the hottest stars of the moment. On the other - the “house” reporter (practically an institution).

Screw that.

Shows up on a grid with about $100m in equipment sitting around. Thinks she needs bodyguards.

I disagree, Elizabeth. I don’t know how exactly it works, but aren’t these celebrities the guests of F1? They haven’t paid to get in the gate, they aren’t paying for food or suites or the grid access that NO mortal can get (not even at COTA). It seems the least they can do is make themselves available for interviews…

He didn’t demand, he asked, somewhat jokingly. 

Nailed it.

It is impressive how consistently wrong these writers’ takes are on all things F1.

Pretty sure F1 has zero need for people like her. There are plenty of rich & famous people who have a passion for F1, and I’m guessing MTS is not one of them or she she would have loved to have spoken up about it. And frankly outside of the USGP, is really not even famous.

F1 revenue per year: $2,000,000,000 (2 billion)

I could honestly do without the grid walk interviews, but at the same time, if you’re asked to be apart of the ceremony and you are out there, let the guy do his job. 

1000% disagree.

The entire thing has read as mostly tongue in cheek to me.

Brundle has a good reason for chatting with people on the grid. What was Megan doing there, just being famous? The “DON’T MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THE TALENT” attitude from her clueless bodyguard seems like a good justification for banning entourages from the grid.

Yet another Jalopnik article written by someone clueless about Formula 1. Indy Car gets F-1 drivers who retire from F-1 or who lose seats in F-1 because the team lost confidence in the driver and wants to try a different driver. There are multiple competitive open wheel series running in Europe for the express purpose…