F1 reporter mistakenly thought he was interviewing Patrick Mahomes: “That’s why he ignored me”

The stars were out in South Florida Sunday afternoon as Miami hosted its first-ever Formula 1 international auto event. But despite the droves of celebrities, former F1 driver and current Sky Sports correspondent Martin Brundle was struggling to find a worthy interview as he walked the paddock.

“We haven’t been able to find anybody,” Brundle said on the Sky Sports broadcast, which was being simulcast in the United States by ABC. Determined to garner the attention of a celebrity for an interview, Brundle began a quest to find Patrick Mahomes.

the defeated “whatever” at the end is the best part of this clip pic.twitter.com/OirUUMOyjp

— Brandon Contes (@BrandonContes) May 9, 2022

“There’s a guy called Patrick Mahomes on the grid who’s a bit of a sporting legend out here, Kansas City Chiefs,” Brundle told his audience.

“Patrick!” Brundle yelled to no avail as he approached who he believed to be the Chiefs quarterback. “I don’t think he can hear me up there. Patrick!”

Finally, the athlete turned to face Brundle and the camera. And while many watching on Sky Sports, which is based in the United Kingdom, may have assumed the person was indeed Patrick Mahomes, much of the audience watching on ABC are more familiar with the Chiefs quarterback and could quickly identify the gaffe. The athlete Brundle chased down wasn’t Patrick Mahomes, it was college basketball star and NBA prospect Paolo Banchero.

“What do you think of this atmosphere?” Brundle asked.

“This is crazy,” Banchero said. “I’ve never been to an F1 race.”

Shortly after the interview began, someone either alerted Brundle that he was not talking to the NFL superstar, or the reporter recognized the mistake himself.

“OK, it’s not Patrick, that’s why he ignored me in the beginning,” Brundle turned to the camera and said. “What is your name, sir?”

After Banchero stated his name, Brundle apologized, admitting he thought he was speaking to someone else before abruptly ending the interview to search for more celebrities on the grid.

“Whatever,” Brundle said, sounding both defeated and slightly embarrassed as he passed the blame. “Little bit of misinformation in the ears there.”

Brundle may not have had the opportunity to speak with arguably the best player in the NFL, but Banchero is widely expected to be a top pick in this year’s NBA Draft. So check back in a few years and maybe Banchero will be the celebrity who reporters are frantically searching for on the paddock.