Jeremy Clarkson mocks F1's celebrity guests at the US Grand Prix

Jeremy Clarkson has spent decades poking fun at cars, drivers and anyone who takes either too seriously. At the US Grand Prix this weekend, he turned his aim on Formula 1's growing crowd of famous faces. In a television interview in Austin, Texas, the former "Top Gear" host suggested that a lot of the celebrities who turn up on the starting grid have little idea why they are there, and said he is simply not interested when the cameras cut to Kim Kardashian, according to Motorsport.com and F1 Chronicle.

*This report draws on reporting by Motorsport.com, F1 Chronicle, E! News and Page Six; full list of sources below.*

What Clarkson said

Clarkson spoke with Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, Naomi Schiff and presenter Simon Lazenby at the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, Oct. 24, Motorsport.com reported.

Talking about the pre-race grid walk, the segment in which Brundle, a former F1 driver, wanders the starting grid looking for anyone who will talk to him, Clarkson said it is one of his favorite things to watch. The reason, as he explained it, is that many of the guests Brundle runs into seem to have no idea why they are there, and most of them would struggle to tell you what a car is, according to Motorsport.com's account of the interview. F1 Chronicle reported the same remarks with slightly different wording.

Lazenby then brought up Kardashian. Brundle had tried to stop her for a word on the grid in Monaco earlier this season and was ignored, before finally getting a brief interview with her in Singapore, Motorsport.com reported. Asked about that moment, Clarkson said he had not been watching. He added that he is not interested, that he comes to races to watch Formula 1, and that he does not care when the broadcast cuts away to show her, according to both outlets.

Clarkson also joked that everything he knows about the sport he learned from the Sky pundits sitting next to him, Motorsport.com reported.

Why was Clarkson in Austin?

He was there as a guest of Alpine, the French-owned team whose factory is in Enstone, Oxfordshire, not far from his farm. Clarkson told Sky he thinks of it as his "local" team, Motorsport.com reported, and said he has followed the Enstone outfit through its many names and eras, from Michael Schumacher's years there to Fernando Alonso's, through the Kimi Räikkönen period and now with Pierre Gasly.

He also offered a more personal and rather roundabout link: the father of the person who looks after his rabbits works at Alpine, he said. Brundle called that connection "tenuous," according to Motorsport.com.

Gasly will start Sunday's race from 11th place, Motorsport.com reported.

Who is Jeremy Clarkson?

For many viewers, Clarkson is still the face of car television. He hosted the BBC's "Top Gear" from 2002 until 2015, then launched "The Grand Tour" on Amazon Prime Video with his former co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May. In recent years he has become just as well known for "Clarkson's Farm," the Prime Video series about running Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds.

That background explains why his jokes about who does and does not belong at a race land with F1 fans. He has made a career out of mocking people who are more interested in being seen near cars than in the cars themselves.

F1's celebrity moment

Clarkson's comments touch on a real change in the sport. Formula 1's audience in the United States has grown sharply over the past several years, helped by Netflix's "Drive to Survive" series and the addition of races in Miami and Las Vegas alongside Austin. With that growth has come a steady stream of actors, musicians, athletes and influencers on the grid before the start.

Brundle's grid walk has become a showcase for that culture clash. Over the years it has produced a string of viral moments, including awkward brush-offs from celebrity guests and their security teams, which is part of why Clarkson enjoys it.

Why the clip spread

The interview took off online for a simple reason: it mixed two of F1's most talked-about storylines, the flood of celebrities at races and Hamilton's high-profile relationship, with one of the most recognizable voices in car culture. Clarkson's remarks were brief, but they touched both topics in a single interview.

Readers may see slightly different versions of his words online. Motorsport.com and F1 Chronicle each published their own transcriptions of the same interview, and the wording does not match exactly. That is why NewsCubby paraphrases what he said instead of quoting full sentences. The meaning is the same in both reports: he finds the grid's celebrity guests funny, and he says Kardashian's presence does not interest him.

Kardashian and F1

Kardashian has appeared at several races this season. F1 Chronicle reported that she attended the Monaco Grand Prix in June and the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this month, where Lewis Hamilton finished sixth after starting third. Motorsport.com described her as Hamilton's partner, and F1 Chronicle reported that the two have been dating since February. Neither Kardashian nor Hamilton has commented on Clarkson's remarks in the reports we reviewed.

On Saturday, Kardashian was in Italy. She attended the premiere of Season 2 of "All's Fair," the Hulu legal drama in which she plays lawyer Allura Grant, at the Rome Film Festival, E! News reported. Her mother, Kris Jenner, joined her, and co-stars Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Niecy Nash were also there, according to Page Six.

NewsCubby has not confirmed whether she plans to attend Sunday's race.

The race itself

There is plenty for Clarkson, and everyone else, to watch on track. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, the championship leader, starts from pole position and could clinch the title this weekend, F1 Chronicle reported. Max Verstappen starts second, Isack Hadjar third, Charles Leclerc fourth, Hamilton fifth and George Russell sixth. Ferrari had topped all of the practice sessions before qualifying, according to F1 Chronicle.

What happens next

The US Grand Prix starts Sunday at 4 p.m. ET at the Circuit of the Americas; check local listings for how to watch. If Antonelli seals the title, the race could also crown a new world champion. Brundle is expected to do his usual grid walk before the start, so the celebrity question, and the jokes, may come up again. NewsCubby will update this story if Clarkson, Kardashian or Hamilton responds.

*This report draws on reporting by Motorsport.com, F1 Chronicle, E! News and Page Six. Clarkson's remarks are paraphrased from his Sky Sports F1 interview as reported by those outlets; quotes are attributed to the people and outlets that published them.*