RacingMartin Brundle called the chatter “utter clickbait nonsense” and Jenson Button backed him, ending talk of a Sky Sports F1 commentary shake-up. Brundle said he is sticking to his 16-race schedule and will be back on air at the Miami Grand Prix. Button said he is not replacing him and has no plan to take the role full-time.
Speaking on Sky’s The F1 Show, Brundle said: “I do 16 races a year, so I have to miss some, and they tend to be the early-hours-of-the-morning races; I always feel a bit sad when I’m not in Suzuka because I love that track as a driver and as a broadcaster, but I can't do them all these days,” adding that he intends to be back on camera at the next race in Miami in early May, Brundle said, Sky Sports F1 commentator, on Sky’s The F1 Show.
The noise grew after he missed two of the last three rounds. Brundle attended the season-opening Australian Grand Prix but skipped China and Japan. In a direct reply to a concerned fan, he shut down claims he was cutting back further. “Utter clickbait nonsense Margaret, don’t be concerned. I’ve done 16 races per year for a good while now and continue to do so. In fact, with the cancellations, I am at 15 of the remaining 19 races this season, subject to world events, of course, as always,” Brundle wrote, Sky Sports F1 commentator, in a social media post.
Button, who stepped in for commentary at Suzuka, told followers he is not being lined up to take over. “I am not positioned to replace Martin, he’s the man when it comes to commentary and insights. As much as I love jumping in when Martin is taking a well-deserved break, I wouldn’t want to do more as I’ve got enough going on!” Button wrote, 2009 F1 world champion and Sky Sports F1 pundit, in a social media post.
Brundle said on The F1 Show that his rotation means he often sits out the earliest time-zone events, and he repeated that he will stick to his established workload. He also said he expects to be absent from only four race weekends between now and December, Brundle said, Sky Sports F1 commentator, via social media statements and The F1 Show.
His recent absences brought a familiar bench in to cover. Anthony Davidson handled the Chinese Grand Prix for Sky, and Button called the Japanese Grand Prix. Button’s stint drew praise and helped fuel the online speculation about a full-time switch, according to Sky’s event coverage and subsequent discussion reported after the races. Both men have now pushed back on that idea, and Brundle is set to rejoin the booth when Formula 1 heads to Miami.