F1 News

Brundle receives Murray Walker Award

Brundle receives Murray Walker Award

30-01-2023 19:38 Last update: 21:12

GPblog.com

Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle has received the Murray Walker Award. The former Formula One driver has been back in the commentary booth since hanging up his helmet and was presented with the award for that work.

Where Olav Mol was the voice of Formula 1 on television for a long time in the Netherlands, in the UK it was Murray Walker. The Brit is perhaps the most recognisable voice for Formula One fans of many generations after he provided commentary on the championships. In that role, he was full-time from 1976 to 2001. He moved from the BBC to ITV when the broadcasting rights changed hands in 1997. At that change, he was joined for the first time by Brundle.

Great honour

Walker died in March 2021 at the age of 97. It was in the middle of the pandemic, yet major personalities in motorsport were quick to pay tribute to the man with the recognisable voice. Eventually, an award was also created in the commentator's name and Brundle is the first to receive it. "I am very happy that there is an award for Murray. We lost him during the pandemic and it was hard to celebrate his life. It's a great honour and a privilege to be the first recipient," said the Briton at Motorsport UK.

No better winner than Brundle

Given Brundle's strong professional and personal relationship with Walker, it was said at the ceremony that there could be "no better first recipient of this special award than Brundle", a close friend of Walker. The pair worked together in ITV's Formula One coverage in the 1990s and since then Brundle has been part of the BBC and now Sky Sports.