Who is Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle?

Who is Martin Brundle?

Martin Brundle was born in King's Lynn, England, the same birthplace as Mercedes driver George Russell. The 65-year-old is famous for co-commentating on Formula 1 since 1997 on British television, currently working for Sky Sports UK alongside main commentator David Croft. In 2011, he had one year of lead commentary when working for the BBC, but then returned to his co-commentary/analyst role. As a result of his commentary work, Brundle won the RTS Television Sports Award for best Sports Pundit in 1998, 1999, 2005 and 2006.

But before his broadcasting career, the 65-year-old was involved in F1 racing for nine years, with his debut year coming in 1984. He raced for Tyrrell, finishing fifth in his first race at the Brazilian Grand Prix. A crash in practice at the Dallas Grand Prix meant Brundle broke both his ankles, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. It also led to the doctors initially considering amputating his left foot, and while he recovered, the damage left him with permanent injuries, preventing him from left-foot braking.

He returned for the 1985 season, but could not score a single point for the struggling Tyrrell team. He only scored eight points a year later in 1986, and he then joined West German team Zakspeed in 1987. However, two points for a 5th place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix were the only points he scored, and he left F1 for a new challenge.

An endeavour outside of F1

He drove for Jaguar in the European Touring Car Championships in 1988, as well as the World Sportscar Championship and the American IMSA championship. In his two starts in Europe, he took two victories, and in the World Sportscar Championship, Brudnle won with a record points haul, winning the Daytona 24 Hours as well.

He returned to F1 in 1989 to join Brabham, but a year later, he moved back to sportscar racing. That move paid off, taking victory at the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans, reigniting his career. He once again joined Brabham in F1 in 1991, but the team were right at the back of the grid and good results were few and far between.

However, a gritty season for Brabham with some points finishes meant he was able to move to Benetton in 1992, and he earned his first-ever podium finish along with some consistent points finishes. However, to the shock of the paddock, he was dropped for the 1993 season. He almost joined Williams, but he raced for Ligier instead after Damon Hill took that seat.

He joined McLaren in 1994, but during that season, the British team were unable to win a Grand Prix for the first time in 1980. Brundle's best result came in Monaco, finishing second behind Michael Schumacher. He raced in F1 for the final time in 1996, but a fourth was the best result he could manage. Brundle achieved nine podiums in his F1 career, scoring 98 points and a best finish of 6th in the World Championship.