Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham at the Austrian Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

Natalie Pinkham: "feminist" Bernie Ecclestone blocked upskirting photo

14:52, 09 Oct

Updated: 15:41, 09 Oct

byShayni Solanki

Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham revealed that the former Formula 1 CEO, Bernie Ecclestone, supported her through an upskirting incident in South Korea.

"Bernie loved the grid girls and everything else, but actually, he’s got two daughters, he’s got a lovely wife, and so actually, he’s all for sticking up for girls in the moment."

- Natalie Pinkham

Speaking on the Amanda Wakeley Style DNA podcast, Pinkham said that in her early days of pitlane reporting, a photographer attempted to publish a photo taken up her skirt.

She claimed that Ecclestone swiftly intervened when the photographer sold the photos to the British newspaper The Sun, and blocked the publication.

Pinkham explained: "You know what, this is a great story about Bernie Ecclestone, because I didn’t know this picture was out there, but basically there was a gust of wind, a snapper got the shot, and I found out about it when it was about to go in The Sun.

"I told Bernie Ecclestone about this, and he phoned the cameraman - the photographer - and said, 'If that goes to print, your pass won’t work at the next grand prix. You don’t stitch Natalie up like that.

"And I was like, 'Wow, he’s a feminist!' Because, you know, obviously Bernie loved the grid girls and everything else, but actually, he’s got two daughters, he’s got a lovely wife, and so actually, he’s all for sticking up for girls in the moment."

Bernie Ecclestone with wife Fabiana Flosi and Silvia Domenicali at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

'Upskirting' is the act of capturing photos or videos underneath a person's clothing without their consent.

It is a criminal offence in several countries, including England, Wales, Japan, and New Zealand, and is considered a form of sexual violence in the UK.

"You've got to be comfortable in the pitlane," Pinkham continued. "It's got to be practical but you also show a bit of your own sense of style.

"So, you know, I love waistcoats with wider trousers. I love that, but I know some people don't, a lot of men don't, but we don't dress for men."

She explained that the incident took place in a windy South Korean Grand Prix in the 2010s, where upskirting has since been made a criminal offence.

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