40 replies to this topic

[TazioN]

Talking with some people, I find that they sometimes take Martin Brundle's opinion maybe too seriously. I don't remember much about his racing career and a quick search on Forix shows that he was not spectacular.

What's your opinion on him, as a driver? I can't comment on his job as commentator since I live in the US, but I've read a couple of articles and interviews with him and he can be a bit critical of other (arguably better) drivers.

[baddog]

martins career statistics do NOT reflect his experience. he does know that of which he speaks, he has partnered both mika and michael, fought against senna in lower formulas (and done well too), driven for some of the best teams..

however he is in serious danger of slipping into 'arrogant old fool' mode at times recently, and should not combine his two jobs as DCs manager and commentator. but he is very worthwhile and very knowledgeable

Shaun

[Ross Stonefeld]

I think he's a classic case of your F1 career should not be the determining factor in the analysis of one's abilitites as a racing driver

[Andy]

What baddog said ^^^^^^^, 100%.

I do hope he stays around commentating for a good long while, until Jacques retires and can take over for him! ;)

[kouks]

As a commentator, he's quite good although no Murray Walker. Murray is irreplacable, Martin isn't.
I'm starting to miss Murray already.

Could you image Murray at Suzuka with Michael pulling a 10 sec lead in 4 laps, he would have been going nuts!

I think Eddie Irvine will be the next great commentator

[magic]

mb was a true racer but a very weak qualifier.

[Irvine`s Love Child]

Originally posted by TazioN
Talking with some people, I find that they sometimes take Martin Brundle's opinion maybe too seriously.

I have to say I enjoy Brundle`s commentary. You need a racer who`s been there to give you an insight into the mechanics and, to some extent, the emotions in F1.

The fact that he is DC`s manager can jar sometimes but he hasn`t laboured it that much.

He is bloody quick on the uptake, I like his dry wit.

The fact that he got a close second to Senna in F3 are credentials enough for me on the driving side.

Methinks he knows what he is talking about.

Arrogant ...... nope.

Experienced ....... mmmmmMMMM .... could be.

[TazioN]

Originally posted by Irvine`s Love Child


I have to say I enjoy Brundle`s commentary. You need a racer who`s been there to give you an insight into the mechanics and, to some extent, the emotions in F1.

Talking about that, I really enjoy Steve Matchett's commentary and his insight into the workings of a team. He's also one cool guy, he emailed my brother a couple of times to comment about a question my brother emailed to Speedvision.

[BuzzingHornet]

Brundle is an excellent driver, even today. He put in a heroic drive in the Bentley at Le Mans this year, and I hope he goes back for another shot next year.

for F1, get your tape of Spa 95 out and watch for Brundle

[doohanOK]

I reckon Martin's great in the commentary booth. He can be very funny at times, but his general (and to the point, serious) input is also exceptional.

regards,
doohanOK.

[Zawed]

Brundle is a great commentator, well informed, and I think the current drivers respect him. I feel he does show a little bias to DC though but aside from that, he is well balanced in his views.
I also think he was an under rated driver, did well against Schumacher in races when they were teammates. Not the best of qualifiers though. I wonder sometimes; What if he had'nt had the Detroit smash in 1984? And what if he drove the full season in 1995, instead of sharing the Ligier drive with Suzuki?

[Louis Mr. F1]

i was actually thinking of starting a thread on Martin recently, but about his racing career.

in 84, he was one of the rising rookie star in F1, got quite good result in the Tyrrell, with a best 2nd in Detroit, equalling Senna's best result. But then later, FIA has disqualified all Tyrrell points.
It seems Tyrrell and Brundle lost the momentum the following years. (Zawed, I think the 84 crash was at Monaco)

Then he spent a few years in the Zakspeed and Brabhams, he did pretty well in the 89 Monaco GP in 3rd place, ahead of the Williams, Ferrraris, Benettons....until a battery problem which lost him around 2 minutes but he charged back t finish 6th.

He continued to drive solidly during the wilderness years. Until 92 when he finally joined a top team, Benetton. Most people knew how's his perfomances. Scoring 11 (?) times. Equally impressive but less notable was 93, when he was driving for Ligier, again scoring on a very consistent basis.
His best seasons were 92 and 93.
94 and 95 were pretty good, but the McLaren was not reliable to allow him to do much.

I think i quite like this guy.

[diosh]

I'm a big fan of his commentry, he always picks up the little details that us non f1 drivers can't see, and 99% of the time he's right.. great commentator imho, and funny dry sense of humour

[Peter North]

He's correct almost all the time and has good insight into the technical aspect of F1 cars and driving. He can be a bit mailicious towards other drivers at times, which is surprising considering he wasn't a great talent in F1 himself. He does have a truly British sense of humour (ever tried making a joke with a stiff upper lip?) but I enjoy him nonetheless.

[ehagar]

As a colour commentator, I think he is fantastic. The deadpan foil to the exuberance of Murray Walker. James Allen and Brundle seem lacking to me though, maybe they will be good next year.

[Hunt the Shunt Fan]

I've had a chance to listen to Brundle and Murray this season. I think Brundle does a wonderful job as a color commentator. I wish I could say the same about James Allen but I can't.

[Zawed]

Originally posted by Louis Mr. F1
(Zawed, I think the 84 crash was at Monaco)

He did crash at Monaco but he was'nt hurt beyond having a concussion, but he had one where he smashed an ankle or two. If that was'nt in Detroit then it must have been Dallas. I'm very sure the crash was in the USA at least.

[RiverRunner]

I think he's great,but then again I have to add a qualifier here.
I've had to deal with Sam Posey,Bobby Unser,benny Parsons etc etc etc here in the US for far too long

[MuMu]

The best racing commentator I have heard.
Better than Murray, IMO.

[sennadog93]

He knows what he's talking about and he has had some very successful results outside of F1 - Sports Cars for example.

[mikedeering]

If anyone doubts Martin's comic genius, watch Austria 2000, and the interview with Bryan Adams. I thought the, ahem, "groover from Vancouver" was going to smack Brundle!

[jmcgavin]

Brundle had great potential when he first came to F1, having just run Senna close in F3.
He's said himself that he was overconfident after a series of good results, hence a big accident at Monaco and then another which broke both his ankles at Dallas. Again, he's admitted that this hugely damaged his career.

A very good driver who never got the breaks if not perhaps a WDC candidate, didn't MS say he was the best team mate he has had, Briatore has also said he wished he'd not bowed to sponsor pressure and kept him on for 93.

[Garagiste]

Oh yes - can anybody do us a transcript of that Bryan Adams Interview it was hysterical
I think MB was one of those who could certainly have had much better results given a top line drive, but not one of the F1 greats. As a commentator he's the only thing that softens the loss of Murray.

[Witt]

Brilliant commentator and not too shabby behind the wheel. He may not have been one of the "greats" in F1, but he commands a lot of respect around the paddock. Especially since his opinions (and there's a lot of them) are heard everywhere in the english speaking world besides the USA. I like his critical assessments. Many commentators, and so called respected journalists, are too afraid to critisise a driver these days. Martin gets away with it because of his sense of humour. If anyone were to question the validity of his opinions due to his lack of F1 success, he'd probably agree then just laugh it off, his sense of humour is almost genius!

[Indian Chief]

Martin and Murray were the best commentary team in any sport. Its sad to see them split up by Murray's retirement. Even though he was DC's manager, usually you wouldn't realise it.

[mikedeering]

Select quotes from Austria 2000...

Martin: "Bryan, glad I caught up with you. Had to run to you. It seems like everything I do today is in a bit of a rush, but please forgive me." ...

"The first time I went to a Grand Prix I thought I was going to go to Heaven." ..

. "These drivers are pretty reckless, but they don't give up do they?" .

.. "Thanks for talking to us, let's hope we can make it a race to remember."

Bryan Adams: "Yeah, when you're gone."

Lots more quality phrases at the excellent Martin Burndle Quotes Page - http://members.tripo...ad/martin_b.htm

[JDeRosa]

Yep, definitely one of my favs. He's got great knowledge, and can beautifully explain technical issues. I like him, I like him alot.

[BRG]

Brundle's predecessors as colour commentators were Jonathan Palmer and James Hunt, both ex-F1 drivers. Palmer was less accomplished in F1 than Martin, whilst Hunt was more successful (a WDC) but neither were as good in the commentary box. Palmer was just basically very irritating, whereas Hunt could be very funny and outspoken. However, Hunt allowed his own likes and dislikes to come through in his words far too much. I think that Brundle strikes a nice balance between maintaining objectivity and speaking his mind, all leavened with a nicely humourous approach. He has never made any secret of his connection with Coulthard, not that I think he is ever particularly biased anyway. Also by working with Coulthard, Brundle retains a direct link to a current driver which maybe helps him with a lot of his technical insights.

[Dudley]

Dallas

[UPRC]

I don't mind Brundle. I find him very informative....

he lacks the excitement of Murray tho... *misses Murray*

[senninha]

Originally posted by Louis Mr. F1
i was actually thinking of starting a thread on Martin recently, but about his racing career.

in 84, he was one of the rising rookie star in F1, got quite good result in the Tyrrell, with a best 2nd in Detroit, equalling Senna's best result. But then later, FIA has disqualified all Tyrrell points.
It seems Tyrrell and Brundle lost the momentum the following years. (Zawed, I think the 84 crash was at Monaco)

Then he spent a few years in the Zakspeed and Brabhams, he did pretty well in the 89 Monaco GP in 3rd place, ahead of the Williams, Ferrraris, Benettons....until a battery problem which lost him around 2 minutes but he charged back t finish 6th.

He continued to drive solidly during the wilderness years. Until 92 when he finally joined a top team, Benetton. Most people knew how's his perfomances. Scoring 11 (?) times. Equally impressive but less notable was 93, when he was driving for Ligier, again scoring on a very consistent basis.
His best seasons were 92 and 93.
94 and 95 were pretty good, but the McLaren was not reliable to allow him to do much.

I think i quite like this guy.

I remember well that race at Detroit (84). MB finished the race glued at Piquet's Brabham!!

MB did points in his first race at Brazil. Despite i like Bellof, MB was much more impresssive than Stefan with that ilegal Tyrrell.

I think this ilegality damaged a lot Brundle's career. Tyrrell was retired form 84 season, the drivers lost all points, whenever Senna (main MB's rival at F3) appeared more and more ...

But i think MB had more chances than a normal driver (average) as he showed in his career. Sorry, but he let the chances past (specially at Benetton and McLaren).

[Louis Mr. F1]

Dudley,
that's a great picture, but I'm sure that's Monaco, as you can judged by the lines on the track.
That's before the entry of the swimming pool section.

[Witt]

Originally posted by Louis Mr. F1
Dudley,
that's a great picture, but I'm sure that's Monaco, as you can judged by the lines on the track.
That's before the entry of the swimming pool section.

No, it's definitely Dallas. That's where he had "the smash" in 1984, and i'm pretty sure i've seen that photo before with info about the Dallas GP.

[RJL]

IMO MB was a damn respectable GP driver and is now a fine commentator. He does let his personal biases get in the way from time to time, which can be a little annoying, but overall I'd say he's mostly on the money.

[LB]

Nope thats definately Monaco,(in practice) he crashed at both. He emerged unscathed from that one but both his legs at Dallas. Simple way to tell Monaco has armco, Dallas had concrete walls

[stevew]

Originally posted by LB
Nope thats definately Monaco,(in practice) he crashed at both. He emerged unscathed from that one but both his legs at Dallas. Simple way to tell Monaco has armco, Dallas had concrete walls

I agree. It's Monaco.

In Mike Lang's "Grand Prix!" Vol. 4 1981-1984, there is a picture of Brundle's car sitting on a trailer, missing both its right-side wheels. Basically, the whole right-hand side of the car is gone, (sorry, my scanner doesn't work).

Also, here is a quote from the book concerning his Dallas crash: "...Brundle, after going out early and whilst on only his first flying lap of the afternoon, suddenly hit the wall on the left-hand side at Turn 8 due to a suspected defalting tyre. The Tyrrell then cannoned off into the wall on the other side of the track and finally came to a rest with its front end badly crumpled. At first, the sight of the young Englishman levering himself out of the cockpit and perching on the roll-over bar..."

I haven't seen any pictures of his Dallas crash, but from Lang's description, it sounds as if the car stayed on it's feet, unlike Monaco. Of course, the barriers are a giveaway as well. Another thing; although it's kind of hard to tell, but in the photo posted here, there appears to be a man in the crowd wearing a jacket(?) If I remember correctly, the race weekend at Dallas was HOT!

Just my thoughts...

[Witt]

Hmmm, i stand corrected. I never new about the crash at monaco. You learn something new everyday!

[Dudley]

Forix has it marked as Dallas, I don't know enough to tell either way.

[Vrba]

The driver's ability comprises to be able to find the competitive team, to stay alive and to produce results. Therefore Brundle is nothing more than his statistics shows.

Hrvoje

[Vrba]

The pic on this thread definitely shows Monaco start/finish "straight". The car is obviously a 1984 Tyrrell.

Hrvoje

[Rediscoveryx]

His serious injury was in Dallas regardless of where that picture is taken. I think that Brundle was a calm and intelligent driver - a poor mans Alain Prost if you will - and although he might not have been WDC material, he definately could have achieved the same numbers that Coulthard has produced if he had driven competitive cars. Just look at his non-F1 career.

Mighty impressive...