Martin Brundle cut short his interview with Eddie Irvine (Image: Sky Sports)

Former Ferrari F1 driver Eddie Irvine saw his interview with Martin Brundle cut short on the Italian Grand Prix grid after the Irishman used some ‘colourful’ language

Martin Brundle jokingly called former Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine a “horrible man” as he cut short an interview. The Sky Sports favourite was speaking to the former Ferrari racer on his grid walk ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

Irvine spoke of how he had been given a paddock pass because of his relationship with F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali. But the conversation ended abruptly when he used some language which made Brundle hastily shut down the conversation with his long-time friend.

Irvine said live on the Sky Sports feed before the Monza race: “Stefano, the boss of Formula 1 is a good friend, so he always gives me a pass. When Bernie [Ecclestone] was the boss, he used to break your balls and I don’t like my balls being broken.”

It was at that point that Brundle cut in and, wearing a broad smile, replied: “You’ll get me into trouble, you know you’ll get me into trouble. That’s the end of that interview, you’re a horrible person, goodbye.”

Walking away as he tried to continue his grid walk, Brundle then added into his microphone: “Apologies for the colourful, spherical nature of Eddie Irvine’s explanation there. At least we haven’t been thrown off air yet.”

Brundle had approached Irvine because he wanted to get the perspective of someone who knows what it is like to represent Ferrari at their home race. Lewis Hamilton is racing at Monza for the first time representing the famous Italian team.

Irvine did so himself for four seasons in the second half of the 1990s. And it was a largely successful spell, the highlight of which was the 1999 season – his final year with Ferrari – in which he won four races and finished second in the championship behind only Mika Hakkinen.

Nico Rosberg, who was with Brundle on his pit walk, started the conversation by asking Irvine: “How does it feel to be a Ferrari driver and to go round here with the whole country expecting big things from you?”

In response, the Irishman replied: “It’s better to be an ex-Ferrari driver standing here and experiencing this because, when you are a driver, I never experienced this. I was focused on the car and the result was all that mattered, as you guys know.

“This fanfare, I never paid any attention to it until the Sunday night and then it was great. I love coming out and getting these experiences for the first time [not as a driver].”