Martin Brundle is a legend of Formula One. He is a legend who raced at the highest level of motorsport for 13 years. He is a legend who drove for eight different teams, who scored nine podiums, who finished sixth in the world championship.
Martin is a legend who battled with some of the greatest drivers of all time, such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Michael Schumacher. He is a legend who survived some of the most dangerous and challenging eras of Formula One, such as the turbo era, the electronic era, the refueling era.
But Martin Brundle is also more than just a legend. He is a hero who overcame a horrific crash in 1984 that nearly ended his career and his life. He is a hero who recovered from multiple injuries and surgeries to make his Formula One debut later that year.
Martin Brundle Birthplace and Childhood
Martin Brundle was born on June 1, 1959, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England. His father, John Brundle, was a motor trader and a rally driver, who ran a garage and a car dealership. His mother, Alma Brundle, was a housewife and a supportive figure.
Martin had one brother, Robin Brundle, who also became a racing driver.
Martin grew up around cars and motorsport and was fascinated by speed and competition. He started karting at the age of 12, and soon showed his talent and potential.
He won the British Karting Championship in 1975, beating future Formula One rival Ayrton Senna along the way.
Where Did Martin Brundle Receive His Education?
Martin attended the King Edward VII School in King’s Lynn, where he studied until he was 16 years old. He was not very interested in academics and preferred to focus on his racing career.
Brundle left school without any qualifications and worked as a mechanic at his father’s garage. He also played guitar in a band called “The Chequers”.
Martin Brundle Parents
Martin’s parents were both very influential in his life and career. His father, John Brundle, was his first mentor and sponsor, who introduced him to racing and supported his ambitions.
John had been a successful rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s, competing in events such as the RAC Rally and the Monte Carlo Rally.
He also ran a prosperous garage business, which helped finance Martin’s racing activities.
His mother, Alma Brundle, was also very supportive of Martin’s racing career, even though she worried about the risks involved. She encouraged him to pursue his dreams and goals and was always there for him during his highs and lows.
She was very proud of Martin’s achievements and often attended his races.
Martin Brundle Siblings
Martin has one brother: Robin Brundle. Robin is younger than Martin by four years. They were very close as children and shared their passion for racing.
They helped each other cope with the challenges and pressures of being a racing family.
Robin followed Martin’s footsteps into karting and single-seater cars, racing in
- Formula Ford
- Formula Three
- Formula 3000
- Indy Lights
- British Touring Car Championship
- World Touring Car Championship
- Le Mans Series
- American Le Mans Series
- European Le Mans Series
- Asian Le Mans Series
- Blancpain Endurance Series
- British GT Championship
- International GT Open
- GT Cup Championship
- V de V Endurance Series
- Michelin Le Mans Cup
- Gulf 12 Hours
- Dubai 24 Hour
- Bathurst 12 Hour
- Spa 24 Hours
- Nürburgring 24 Hours
He also became a team owner and manager of United Autosports.
Robin also became an entrepreneur and businessman, running various companies related to motorsport, automotive, aviation, property development, hospitality and media.
Martin Brundle Wife and Children
Martin met his wife Liz at Brands Hatch circuit in 1981. She was working as a secretary for Eddie Jordan Racing at the time. They got married in 1984 and have two children: Alex Brundle (born in 1990) and Charlotte Brundle (born in 1992).
Alex is a racing driver who has competed in various categories such as
- Palmer Audi
- GP3 Series
- FIA World Endurance Championship
- European Le Mans Series
- Asian Le Mans Series
- Blancpain Endurance Series.
- He has also raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times.
Charlotte is a journalist who has worked for various media outlets such as Sky Sports News, Sky Sports F1, BBC Radio Norfolk. She has also co-hosted some podcasts with her father.
How Did Martin Brundle Get into Motor Racing?
Brundle’s racing career progressed through the different racing series in the following way:
- Karting: Brundle started his career in karting, winning the British Karting Championship in 1975. He beat future Formula One rival Ayrton Senna along the way.
- Formula Ford: Brundle moved up to Formula Ford, which he raced from 1976 to 1979. He won several races and championships in this category, such as the Townsend Thoresen Formula Ford 1600 Championship in 1979.
- Formula Three: Brundle graduated to Formula Three, where he raced from 1980 to 1982. He won the Grovewood Award in 1980 and finished third in the British Formula Three Championship in 1981 and 1982. He also raced in the European Formula Three Championship and the Macau Grand Prix.
- Formula Two: Brundle stepped up to Formula Two, where he raced in 1983. He won the championship with Ralt-Honda, beating future Formula One drivers such as Jonathan Palmer, Mike Thackwell , Philippe Streiff and Pierluigi Martini.
- Formula One: Brundle made his Formula One debut in 1984 with Tyrrell, scoring points on his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro. He then drove for Zakspeed , Williams, Brabham, Benetton, Ligier , McLaren and Jordan. He scored nine podiums and finished sixth in the 1992 World Drivers’ Championship.
- Sports cars: Brundle also raced in sports cars, winning the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jaguar . He also raced for Nissan, Toyota and Bentley at Le Mans and other endurance events.
Martin Brundle’s Massive Crash
In 1996, at the Australian GP in Melbourne Brundle was involved in a massive accident which also cost him his life. Despite the huge accident he received the go ahead to jump into the spare Jordan car and start racing again!
Processes are a little different nowadays!
Martin Brundle Formula One Statistics
Martin Brundle entered 165 Formula One races, starting 158 of them.
- He scored 98 points.
- Had zero wins.
- Nine podiums.
- No pole positions.
- No fastest laps.
- He also had 76 retirements and seven disqualifications.
- is average finishing position was 9.3, and his average qualifying position was 12.6.
He drove for eight different teams: Tyrrell, Zak speed, Williams, Brabham, Benetton, Ligier , McLaren and Jordan. He used seven different engine suppliers: Ford, Renault, Zak speed , Judd, Yamaha, Peugeot and Mugen-Honda.
His best season was 1992, when he finished sixth in the world championship with two podiums and 38 points.
Brundle’s worst season was 1986, when he finished 23rd in the world championship with no points.
His most successful team was Benetton, where he scored four podiums and 38 points. His least successful team was Zakspeed, where he scored no points.
Martin Brundle Greatest Achievements
Despite these challenges, Martin Brundle achieved many great things in his Formula One career. Some of his greatest achievements are:
- Scoring nine Formula One podiums
- Finishing sixth in the Formula One World Championship in 1992
- Scoring 98 Formula One points
- Driving for eight different Formula One teams
- Winning the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jaguar
- Becoming one of only six drivers to finish on the podium in both Formula One and Le Mans
- Becoming one of only four drivers to drive for both Williams and McLaren
Martin Brundle is widely regarded as one of the best drivers of his generation, and a fast and fair competitor.
He is also known for his intelligent and insightful commentary for Sky Sports F1 since 2012. Brundle is a member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), which he served as president from 2011 to 2017.
He is also a columnist for The Sunday Times and Autosport and works as a driver coach and mentor for young drivers.
Martin Brundle’s Grid Walk
Brundle is renowned for the grid walk he takes just before the lights go out for the start of every grand prix.
The intent is to pick up on the excitement and energy present at the beginning of each race. He often makes gaffes by mistaking people’s identities which. provides a certain hilarity for audiences around the world.
