28226
Martin Brundle may be best known to Formula 1 fans as the primary voice of the sport thanks to an award-winning broadcasting career dating back to 1997, but his career goes far beyond commentating.
Martin had an unorthodox route to Formula One, starting his racing career at the age of 12, competing in grass track racing. He then worked his way through Hot Rod Racing, Formula Ford, Saloon Car Racing and British Formula 3 before making the move to Formula 1. In his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1984 he finished fifth.
He competed in Formula 1 for 10 years. During his career, he drove for several teams, including Tyrrell, Zakspeed, Williams, Brabham, Benetton, Ligier, McLaren, and Jordan.
In 1997, having largely retired from motor racing, Martin joined the legendary British broadcaster Murray Walker in the commentary box for ITV Sport and, after 12 seasons, moved seamlessly across to the BBC where he remained until joining Sky Sports F1 in 2012, where he continues today .
In his role at Sky he broadcasts to English-speaking audiences worldwide and his grid walk interviews are one of the most popular segments of each race broadcast.
Aside from the breadth of his experiences Martin is one of Formula 1’s best story tellers and he is also a star speaker on the Formula 1 circuit.
Contact Great British Speakers today to book award-winning broadcaster and former Formula 1 racing driver Martin Brundle for your next event.
Having raced a home-built grass track car at the age of 12, Martin completed his education and took over running the family’s motor franchise business when aged 19. Racing was part of his life and he established a successful career competing in touring cars, including partnering the legendary Sir Stirling Moss in the BP Audi team.
In 1983 Martin moved into single car racing and joined Eddie Jordan Racing to compete in the British Formula 3 Championship. This witnessed a titanic duel between Martin and Brazilian Ayrton Senna, ensuring both men graduated to Formula 1 in 1984. Martin drove for the Tyrrell Racing Organisation for three seasons, scoring a 2nd place in the US Grand Prix in Detroit in 1984, although the same year saw him sustain injuries in a high speed crash at another event in the USA, this time in Dallas.
A break from Formula 1 witnessed Martin build on an existing relationship with Jaguar, competing in the 1988 World Sportscar Championship and American IMSA series. That season saw him win the Daytona 24 Hours in IMSA and five world championship races including the 1000kms of Fuji. As a result he claimed a famous World Sportscar Championship title for Jaguar ahead of arch rivals Mercedes.
Returning to Formula 1 Martin drove for the Brabham team in 1989 and 1991, while in 1990 he won the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours sports car race, once again with Jaguar. In 1992 he partnered Michael Schumacher at the Benetton-Ford team, Martin scoring four podium finishes en route to 6th overall in the World Championship for Drivers. Martin continued to produce podium finishes driving for Ligier and McLaren between 1993 and 1995, his final year in F1 coming with a season driving for Jordan Grand Prix in 1996.
In June 2012, Martin made a return to competitive racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, teaming up with son Alex to race a Greaves Motorsport-run Zytek-Nissan LMP2. He worked hard to get back into adequate physical condition – using his son’s race-training exercise programme for a year in preparation. Their car finished 15th out of the 56 runners and 8th in class, completing 340 laps.
For his television work Brundle has won the RTS Television Sports Award for best Sports Pundit in 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2006. Martin received a Royal Television Society Award for his contributions to sports broadcasting, particularly for his work in Formula 1 coverage. He has been part of teams that have won BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards for sports broadcasting, highlighting the quality and impact of the coverage he has been involved with.
Martin’s experience as a former F1 driver, combined with his articulate and knowledgeable commentary, has made him a respected and beloved figure in motor sport. Aside from the breadth of his experiences Martin is one of Formula 1’s best story tellers. He is a popular and engaging speaker who delights audiences with his insights into the world of motor racing as well as sharing some of his experiences in Formula 1.