About Martin Brundle
Martin Brundle is a renowned British former racing driver who gained fame as both a Formula One driver and a commentator. He provided commentary for ITV Sport from 1997 to 2008, the BBC from 2009 to 2011, and has been a commentator for Sky Sports since 2012. He began his racing career at the age of 12, competing in grass track racing, in the Norfolk village of Pott Row. His career took off in 1983 when he competed in the British Formula Three Championship, narrowly finishing second to the legendary Ayrton Senna. The following year, both Brundle and Senna made their way into Formula One. Brundle achieved notable success as the 1988 World Sportscar Champion with Silk Cut Jaguar, setting a record points score. He also secured victories in prestigious races such as the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing for Jaguar Cars. In 2016, in an academic paper that reported a mathematical modeling study that assessed the relative influence of driver and machine, Brundle was ranked the 30th best Formula One driver of all time. Charlie Hamblett will portray Brundle in an upcoming Netflix limited series on Ayrton Senna called "Senna".
Martin Brundle Early Life & Family
Martin Brundle, born on June 1, 1959, hails from King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. He holds British nationality and identifies as British-White ethnically. Martin's zodiac sign is Gemini, and he follows the Christian religion. Martin John Brundle is his full name. As of 2023, he celebrated his 64th birthday. He was raised by his father, who worked as a motor car dealer and grew up alongside his brother, Robin. Following in their father's footsteps, Martin and Robin took over the family car dealership, but unfortunately, the business closed in 2003 due to the loss of local Toyota and Peugeot franchises. Robin is also involved in racing as a competitor in historic racing events and previously served as the managing director of Lola Cars.
For his education, he attended University Centre West Anglia.
Martin Brundle Career
- Martin Brundle began his racing career in grass track racing at the age of 12. He later moved to Hot Rod racing and achieved 'Star grade' status.
- In 1979, he started racing in Formula Ford and also competed in BMW touring cars.
- Brundle won the BMW Championship in 1980 and partnered with Stirling Moss in the 1981 British Saloon Car Championship.
- In 1982, he moved up to Formula Three and had a successful debut season with five pole positions and two wins.
- He won the Grovewood Award for the most promising Commonwealth driver.
- Brundle competed against Ayrton Senna for the Formula Three championship in 1983 but narrowly lost in the final race.
- In 1984, he received an entry into Formula One.
- He began his Formula One career with the Tyrrell Racing Organisation in 1984, showcasing aggressive and fast driving skills.
- He achieved a fifth-place finish in his debut race in Brazil and followed it with a second-place finish in Detroit, which was later disqualified. However, tragedy struck during a practice session at the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix when Brundle suffered severe injuries, including broken ankles and feet.
- While doctors initially considered amputating his left foot, he eventually recovered, although with permanent damage that prevented him from running and left-foot braking.
- He continued with Tyrrell for the next two seasons, but struggled due to the team's switch to turbocharged Renault engines.
- He scored only eight points during his time with Tyrrell.
- In 1987, he joined the Zakspeed team but could only secure two points throughout the year.
- Ironically, the driver Brundle replaced at Zakspeed, Jonathan Palmer, went on to achieve more success with Tyrrell.
- After four years of Formula One racing with underfunded teams, he decided to take a year out in 1988 to seek a new challenge.
- He had been associated with Jaguar since 1983, racing their XJS touring cars.
- Brundle achieved two victories in his two starts with Jaguar, including one with team owner Tom Walkinshaw.
- When Jaguar returned to the World Sportscar Championship in partnership with Walkinshaw's TWR team, Brundle became the lead driver. The team excelled in the 1988 season, and Brundle won the world sportscar title and the Daytona 24 Hours.
- He also served as the test driver for Williams and substituted for Nigel Mansell at the 1988 Belgian Grand Prix.
- In 1989, he joined the Brabham team in Formula One, but despite some initial competitiveness, the team struggled to recapture its past success.
- Brundle's career was revitalized with a victory at the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans, and he also competed in the American IROC series.
- He rejoined Brabham in 1991 but faced continued difficulties due to the team's decline.
- Brundle's Formula One career took an upturn in 1992 when he joined the Benetton team.
- Although he never outqualified his teammate Michael Schumacher, he showcased his racing skills with strong starts and impressive drives. He came close to victory in Canada but suffered a transmission failure.
- Despite not securing a win, he achieved a notable second place at Monza. Brundle was dropped by Benetton for the following season, leading him to race for Ligier in 1993.
- He continued to score points and achieved a fine third-place finish at Imola.
- In 1994, Brundle joined McLaren but faced challenges due to the team's downturn and unreliable engines. He had strong performances when the car was reliable, finishing second at Monaco.
- Brundle raced for Ligier in 1995, sharing the seat with Aguri Suzuki, and secured a podium finish at Spa.
- His final Formula One season was with Jordan in 1996, where he achieved regular points finishes.
- Throughout his career, he achieved nine podiums and scored 98 championship points, with his best championship finish being sixth in 1992.
- He excelled on street circuits and slow-speed, twisty courses.
- After retiring from Formula One, he struggled to secure a seat in the sport for 1997 and instead returned to compete in the Le Mans race.
- Although he was impressed with drives for Nissan, Toyota, and Bentley, he was unable to secure a second victory at the event. Brundle's racing career at Le Mans concluded in 2012.
- Following his retirement, Brundle transitioned into a highly respected television commentator, initially with ITV and later with the BBC and Sky Sports.
- He received multiple awards for his work, including the RTS Television Sports Award for best Sports Pundit.
- Known for his pre-race grid walks, Brundle became renowned for his insightful and entertaining analysis of Formula One.
- He was hailed as the greatest TV analyst in the sport, and his work on the grid at Indianapolis demonstrated his fearlessness in pursuing sensitive issues.
- In addition to his commentary role, he occasionally presented coverage and co-commentated on special occasions, such as the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.
- Brundle participated in various racing events and demonstrations after his retirement from Formula One.
- He drove a Jaguar F1 car in a demonstration before the 2004 British Grand Prix and a BMW Sauber during a demonstration in 2006.
- In 2008, he returned to racing in the Formula Palmer Audi Championship, scoring three top-eight finishes.
- Brundle also came out of retirement to race in the 2011 Daytona 24 Hours, finishing fourth overall.
- He completed a one-off test for Pirelli in 2011 and made a competitive racing comeback at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 15th overall and 8th in class with his son Alex.
- He has been involved in driver management, currently serving as David Coulthard's manager.
- He previously co-owned 2MB Sports Management with Mark Blundell.
- He presented the documentary series "Great Escapes" in 1998 and has authored two books: "Working the Wheel" in 2004 and "The Martin Brundle Scrapbook" in 2013.
- He made a guest appearance as a news presenter on BBC Look East in 2009, replicating his iconic gridwalk.
- During the commentary of the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix, Brundle used a controversial term to refer to Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu, which led to accusations of racial discrimination against Brundle.
- Sky Sports responded to inquiries from the Chinese media outlet Global Times, stating that Brundle had been reminded to exercise caution in his language during live broadcasts. However, Brundle has not issued a formal apology or responded to the issue at this time.
Martin Brundle Net Worth
Martin Brundle, a former race car driver, and commentator, has amassed a net worth of approximately $110 million as of 2023. With an annual income of over $10 million, he has found success in both his racing and commentator careers. While his primary source of wealth comes from his commentator role, he also earned a significant amount from his racing career. Brundle enjoys a luxurious lifestyle and owns a valuable property in the Suburban area of London, estimated to be worth $27 million. In addition, he founded a sports management company in 2011 that continues to operate, albeit with moderate success. This venture brings in around $2 million in annual earnings for Brundle.
Martin Brundle Wife & Children
Martin Brundle is happily married to his wife, Liz Brundle, and together they have built a beautiful family. They are proud parents to their two children, Charlie and Alex. Alex has followed his father in pursuing a career in driving; he competed in the 2012 GP3 Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship. The Brundle family resides in Gayton, Norfolk, and enjoys spending quality time together. Their strong bond and harmonious relationship have shown no signs of divorce, reflecting their enduring commitment to each other. He is straight when it comes to his sexual orientation.
Martin Brundle Height & Weight
Martin Brundle is a man of slim body build, characterized by his handsome appearance. Standing at a height of 171 cm (5' 7") and weighing approximately 74 kg (162 lbs), he maintains a balanced physique. He has captivating black eyes and sports brown hair, which adds to his overall charm. He maintains his body a lot by doing frequent exercise. In 2017, he disclosed that while covering the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix for Sky Sports, he suffered a heart attack whilst running to do the podium interviews.
