Benedict Cumberbatch & The Adventure of the Winner's Circle

For the second time in the 2014 Formula One racing season, Benedict Cumberbatch conducted the post-race podium interviews with the Top 3 finishers, this time at the the conclusion of the Monaco Grand Prix. Tension between the top 2, Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, had been discussed by those in the media over the weekend, which means, of course, that F1 fans were well aware of it. So, if it's your job to interview these drivers moments after a controversial race, how do you prepare? What do you ask?

If you're Cumberbatch, you do this:




Approachable, non-combative, unassuming - and certainly aware of the adrenaline rush each driver was experiencing (for differing reasons).

There's a transcript of the interview here, which also includes questions asked during the press conference held later. Those inquiries dug a little bit deeper into the working relationship between Rosberg and Hamilton:

Q: (Paolo Ianieri - La Gazzetta dello sport) A question for Nico and Lewis. We have seen that there is a pretty tense situation between the two of you and we also heard comments from Lauda saying you did not want to talk and apologise. Are you going to have a pizza together, a dinner, to sort the problems, talk about it and try to get the situation back to normal?

and:

Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association) Lewis, it seems pretty clear to us that you feel aggrieved with the events that occurred yesterday in qualifying. Is this it now for you? Is it gloves off in your battle with Nico? And secondly, do you feel that you are getting full and fair support from the team?

Benedict Cumberbatch conducts Top 3 interviews: 2014 Monaco Grand Prix

Not a lot of camera time for Benedict Cumberbatch here as he interviews Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo, but the CumberCollective likes to know what their favorite actor does, and it makes screencaps and edits possible, as well as general admiration of  the view and voice. (You know you do.)

Methinks there must be a reason the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, Bernie Ecclestone, has called upon Benedict to repeat the duties he performed at the Malaysia Grand Prix earlier this year, conducting post-race interviews with the Top 3 drivers. I'm just speculating, but if a successful (sometimes controversial) British business magnate takes a professional interest in an actor (which is he not known to do in the past that I've found so far),  I think it would be more than just general admiration. Perhaps it involves  Sunny March Ltd., since producer Adam Ackland accompanied Benedict, but who knows? We'll just have to wait and see - and enjoy the benefits of this friendship between Bernie and Ben.