Formula 1 Legend and Sky Sports Commentator Honored with OBE

Former Formula 1 driver and renowned sports broadcaster, Martin Brundle, has been bestowed with an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Prince William at Windsor Castle. The honor recognizes Brundle’s significant contributions to motor racing and sports broadcasting.

A Remarkable Career in Motor Racing and Broadcasting

With a racing career spanning from 1984 to 1989 and 1991 to 1996, Brundle has since made an indelible mark in the world of sports broadcasting. After retiring from racing, he joined the legendary Murray Walker on ITV, and now forms an integral part of the Sky Sports F1 broadcasting team alongside David Croft, Natalie Pinkham, and Ted Kravitz.

The grid walk feature, hosted by Brundle, has become a beloved pre-race tradition among fans. Commenting on his role in sports broadcasting and the grid walk, Brundle shared with Sky Sports News: “Our job is to tell the story, the stories about the cars and the drivers. We get in amongst it, we have access, we know everyone pretty well. But then the grid, it just gets busier.

Brundle further explained, “We try to find people, we talk, and I think because it’s a bit edgy and sometimes it fails miserably, I think people are kind of living it, if I’m having a good day or a bad day. I’ve never watched one in 27 years of doing it because it’s not my natural habitat to run around being cheeky and interrupting people, but it’s sort of grown a life of its own.

Brundle attributed the grid walk’s success to its ability to ramp up excitement before the Grand Prix. He said, “The cars go to the grid, it calms down a bit and then lets get some energy going. The chance to talk to a driver literally before they pull their crash helmets on and zoom down to the first corner is unique in sport.

Reflections on the Honor and Meeting Prince William

Reacting to the honor, Brundle expressed his gratitude, stating, “It made me feel very lucky and very privileged because always something like this, you receive on behalf of an awful lot of other people because either they were designing and creating and fixing my racing cars, or working with us in the broadcasting industry.

He continued, “You can’t do anything on your own at the level of Formula 1. I’ve been very lucky to have two careers in F1 as a driver and a broadcaster, which this award has been presented for.” Brundle added that he was ecstatic when he received the letter just before Christmas.

This wasn’t Brundle’s first meeting with Prince William. In 1992, during the British Grand Prix, he had the opportunity to meet the royal family. Brundle shared, “He came along with his mother and his brother. We met them just after the drivers’ briefing on race day.

Reflecting on the encounter, Brundle said, “We’re West Norfolk people and he spends quite a bit of time up there, so plenty to talk about. He told me a few other things, but I guess they’re private.