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Days After Incident Involving Roger Federer’s Security Harassing F1 Royalty, Former Driver Exposes Ugly Side of Miami GP Over Another “Brutal” Episode

Published 05/12/2023, 10:13 AM EDT

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Just like last year’s inaugural edition, the 2023 Miami GP turned out to be a starry event. While it was a once-in-a-while event for the celebrities, it was a routine affair for former F1 drivers turned experts. However, the security personnel, who are rather unaware of the Hall of Famers of the sport, got the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Earlier we saw footage of tennis legend Roger Federer‘s security misbehaving with 83-year-old, 3-time F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart. Now, another former driver has narrated his ordeal.

Being one of the most celebrated sportspersons of all time, Federer had special access to grid walk before the start of the race. As is the tradition, F1 journalists interview celebrities during those grid walks. Former F1 driver turned commentator Martin Brundle tried to get a word from Roger but his security did not allow it. Brundle then asked Stewart to approach Federer and ask him for an interview, and that was when his security tried to stop him as well.

Another former driver comes forward to narrate his run-in with security at the Miami GP

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Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button may have retired from driving in F1 but are among the most respected experts in the sport. Ralf recalled how the security first roughed Jenson up and then misbehaved with him as well.

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Speaking with Sky Sports, he told, “What happened after the race was unpleasant. The security cordoned off an area with ropes until the top three team bosses could gather. That was okay.”

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“Jenson Button, for example, wanted to go through the area from the inside, but the security held him back in an unpleasant way until someone from Formula One apologized. There was no overview at all. The security pushed me over so brutally, which hurt me a lot.”

Ralf got some injuries during the scuffle but took more offense to the treatment that was meted out to him. For that, he demands an apology.

Ralf Schumacher demands an apology for being treated poorly

The organizers and F1 could have easily avoided such situations if they managed the event well. On top of that, sensitizing the security staff is certainly of utmost importance. All the chaos that ensued poses some serious questions which F1 must answer.

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“We can forget the scratches, but it just doesn’t work that way. I expect an apology but it’s much more important that something like this doesn’t happen again. I said to the camera during the live broadcast that they were idiots. I stand by that too. We will be in touch with Formula One about this,” Ralf added.

“We were pushed aside in this canal like a steamroller – and with great brutality. That’s just not acceptable. We never stood in the way. Security deal disproportionately in the US. They don’t know their way around and don’t know how the interaction in Formula 1 works.”

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Watch This Story: Roger Federer’s Security Misbehaving with F1 Legend Sir Jackie Stewart at the Miami GP

We still have two more American races on the calendar. Let us hope that such incidents do not happen at the COTA and the inaugural Las Vegas GP.

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Written by:

Nischay Rathore

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Nischay Rathore is a senior Formula 1 writer at EssentiallySports with an impressive portfolio of over 850 published articles. With a keen eye for sports and a passion for Formula 1, soccer, and tennis Nischay has embarked on a journey in sports journalism. As a long-time Formula 1 fan, Nischay enjoys reflecting on races from the sport’s past.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai