F1 pundit criticised for slip of the tongue in Canada

Martin Brundle was interviewing Wee Bernie Ecclestone during his frantic pre-race grid walk in Canada on Sunday (all of the drivers ignored Brundle, with the exception of that nice young chap Felipe Massa), when he said: “There are some pikeys there at turn ten putting tarmac down… what do you think of that?”

At the time, watching the incident live, Grid Crasher raised one eyebrow at Brundle’s cavalier use of the word “pikey”, but thought nothing more of it. However, his remark has been picked up by the ever-vigilant PC brigade. A spokesperson for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said, “This word has been used on television in the past and is highly derogatory. They have caused much offence in the past.”

ITV have since apologised for Brundle’s gaffe, but a few publications have jumped on the story, determined to stir up some news out of almost nothing. So three cheers (with waved Union Jacks) for the Daily Mail, which reported this non-story with the headline: “Formula 1 TV commentator’s ‘pikey’ quip provokes race equality row.”

You can always rely on the shit-stirring Mail to whip up a “race row” where none exists.

Are you offended by Brundle’s choice of words?