Martin Brundle is one of the most recognisable voices in Formula 1, having been one of the lead commentators on British TV screens for the last three decades.
His legendary grid walks have been a staple since Brundle first started doing them in 1997 and have thrown up some funny and sometimes awkward encounters with celebrities.
Brundle says his blunders sometimes annoy him the most, once claiming that he did not want to be known for messing things up on TV.
In 2024, he was only present for 16 out of the 24 races on the longest F1 calendar in the history of the championship, which was largely due to a stipulation in his contract.
Martin Brundle does not commentate on every F1 Grand Prix to save costs
Brundle appeared on TV screens less in 2024 having missed the eight rounds, including the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, due to his new contract with Sky Sports.
According to the Daily Mail, the broadcasters was putting him on less races to save costs. He was instead replaced by a rotation of staff, including Nico Rosberg, Anthony Davidson, Karun Chandhok, and Jenson Button.
Brundle is also reducing his output anyway due to the increased stress travel brings throughout a season, with him revealing that he suffered a ‘small heart attack’ in 2016 while covering the Monaco Grand Prix.
The incident occurred while he was running to the podium to interview race winner Lewis Hamilton. Brundle later underwent surgery as a result.
Why Martin Brundle does not speak to Lewis Hamilton on grid walks
Brundle regularly uses the minutes before a race to chat to drivers on the grid, getting their final thoughts before they jump into the car.
F1 is unique in that it gives access to broadcasters, celebrities and guests of the paddock club a chance to walk on the grid before the race is due to start.
He will usually try to speak to as many drivers as he can, however, one of those is not Hamilton because the seven-time world champion likes to get out of his car after completing a reconnaissance lap and go back to his garage for a final debrief.
As a result, Brundle does not speak to Hamilton on the grid before races owing to an agreement between the pair.
Leave feedback about this