Sky Sports reporter Ted Kravitz found himself in an awkward situation after the Chinese Grand Prix when he jokingly criticised George Russell to Mercedes engineers.
The incident occurred as Kravitz approached the Mercedes paddock following Russell's third-place finish behind McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Despite Norris suffering from a faulty brake pedal in the final laps, Russell was unable to overtake him for second place.
Kravitz's light-hearted comments about this missed opportunity created an uncomfortable atmosphere that prompted an apology from the veteran broadcaster.
Ted Kravitz admitted he made an awkward joke to the Mercedes team
Sky Sports
"George Russell, he can't even overtake Lando Norris, who hasn't got any brakes. What's wrong with George Russell?" Kravitz quipped to the engineers.
The Sky Sports reporter continued: "He can't even overtake Lando Norris who hasn't even got any brakes."
His comments drew giggles from the Mercedes team, though the exchange quickly became one-sided and uncomfortable.
Russell had secured a podium finish in third place at the Chinese Grand Prix, behind the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri, who claimed his first victory of the 2025 campaign, and Lando Norris in second.
The British driver had initially made a good start but was squeezed by Piastri down to third position.
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He managed to undercut Norris at one point but was eventually overtaken again and dropped back to third.
Despite Norris's brake issues in the final laps, Russell remained six or seven seconds behind him.
Realising the awkwardness of the situation, Kravitz quickly apologised to the Mercedes team.
"I know, I know, there were reasons why. Sorry, that was slightly awkward," he said before walking away.
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George Russell nearly overtook Lando Norris on the final lap
Reuters
Later, Kravitz adopted a more serious tone when discussing the emotional tribute paid to Eddie Jordan at the event.
"There was a particularly moving tribute to Eddie Jordan before the driver's parade," Kravitz noted.
He described how team principals and drivers gathered on the start-finish line while "With or Without You" played in tribute to Jordan, who recently passed away aged 76.
Norris admitted he was shaken by his brake failure after the race.
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George Russell finished third behind McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris
Reuters
"It was scary. It's like my worst nightmare when the brakes are failing," he said.
"I was losing two, three, four seconds the last couple of laps, so I was a bit scared. I survived and made it to the end."
The McLaren driver acknowledged that with one more lap, Russell might have caught him.
The race day ended in disappointment for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who were both disqualified after initially finishing sixth and fifth respectively.
