I’m an F1 expert – I know exactly why stars Like Cara Delevingne and Tom Cruise are making the starting grid a hot spot
MOVE over Cannes, take a running jump Ascot . . . the new place for any self-respecting celebrity to be seen at is Formula 1.
The hallowed grid, where drivers prepare for the race, is a hotspot like no other, with incredible access to the sport’s top drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
And the 2023 season has seen it flooded with A-listers, from Tom Cruise, Kylie Minogue and Paris Hilton to Cara Delevingne, Shakira and Brad Pitt.
Last weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone was packed with celebs and, in a bizarre moment, even had Homeland actor Damian Lewis singing the national anthem.
But while the stars add an even glitzier veneer to the world’s most dangerous sport, not all are willing to play the game.
Cara’s cringeworthy refusal to speak to F1’s legendary roving reporter and former driver Martin Brundle was blasted “rude”.
Here, two people who know all about it – our Formula 1 correspondent Ben Hunt and former grid girl Lizzie Cundy – explain why the high-octane sport is No1 for showbiz royalty.
ACCESS to the grid before a Formula 1 race is rather like walking out on the pitch before the Champions League Final.
It marks one of the most exclusive areas on the planet. A rare opportunity for the worlds of F1 drivers to collide with Hollywood A-listers, sport stars and politicians.
You are only allowed on to the grid if you are invited.
You cannot buy the passes that gain you entry, that’s not how it works.
And I’ve had the privilege to do it for the past 11 years as The Sun’s F1 correspondent.
I’ve seen them all, from Pele to Pamela Anderson, Arnold Schwarzenegger to Sir Elton John — and many better examples.
But in recent years, under the ownership of Liberty Media and fresh off the wave of popularity created by Netflix’s Drive To Survive show, the list of A-listers is growing.
Last Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone was a peculiar mix of The Speaker of the House of Commons and Eurovision singer Sam Ryder.
The idea is that celebrities are allowed on to the grid to see the cars and the drivers before they set off on their two-hour race.
It is good for them to get the experience, it is good for F1 to have them associated with the sport, with the images beamed across the world.
Usually, the guests are invited by the F1 teams to the races and then F1 chiefs will in turn offer them access to the grid.
They are ushered on a few minutes before the national anthem while a team of mechanics put the finishing touches to their race cars.
It is an assault on the senses. It is hectic.
The mechanics and engineers are running through their checks while the engines are fired into life, prompting people to press their hands over their ears to deaden the noise.
Then there are the additional engines powering air-blowers used to cool the cars’ radiators.
There’s smell of fuel and usually the heat coming off the cars and from the asphalt below your feet.
Sometimes it is all too much and I bail out, such is the crush of mechanics going about their business and the TV crews seeking out their interviews.
The grid interviews have long been a part of Formula 1.
The broadcasters had traditionally focused on the drivers. But now, the celebrities are fair game, too.
It reached a point in 2021 when Megan Thee Stallion had an awkward exchange with Sky F1’s Martin Brundle.
Cara Delevingne’s reluctance to be interviewed on Sunday was another toe-curling moment of live TV.
The reality is, these celebrities should be made aware of the enormity of the experience of being allowed on the grid.
F1 says it makes it clear to their guests TV interviewers will seek an opportunity to speak to them and encourage the celebrities to agree to their requests.
But the fact is, for the best part, it is a brilliant experience.
I just can’t wait to see who is on the grid for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix later in the year, which promises to be the biggest show on Earth.
‘ONLY ELITE GET IN’
LIZZIE CUNDY, 55, worked as a grid girl at Silverstone from 1988 to 1996.
Here, she reveals just how glamorous being at a Formula 1 race has always been . . .
“AS a former Wag, I’ve been to every big, glamorous sporting event you could go to.
But I’ve never known anything quite like Formula 1.
These drivers are risking their lives and it’s so fast, so scary. And the noise . . . there’s just something so special about it all.
With the likes of Brad Pitt and Cara Delevingne attending this year’s event, you can see how glamorous and super-wealthy you have to be to get in.
Only the elite get to go.
I was lucky enough to work as a grid girl and experience the lifestyle with my own eyes, every year for eight years.
As well as the talented racing drivers, including Ayrton Senna, we would see loads of cricketers and footballers, as well as Hollywood actors, all coming to watch the race.
We’d also work at the celebrity races too, and there would always be a big party in the evening in this huge marquee, which was loads of fun.
There would always be so many famous faces. Anyone who was anyone was there, and it just made you feel so special.”