Brundle: DC will be a hitposted in F115 | 01 | 2011
JUST DAYS after BBC confirmed Martin Brundle was being promoted to lead the Formula One commentary team, and be partnered by Scot David Coulthard as 'chief analyst', the veteran believes the duo will be a huge success
Some people have questioned whether the new role — he will continue to do his excellent pre-race 'grid walkabout' — will be too much for Brundle? But the ex-F1 racer today laughed off any fears; and he believes Coulthard will be a hit.
"I read somewhere, this ridiculous article, that it would be an unimaginable strain," Brundle said at the Autosport International Show today. "For me, an unimaginable strain is fighting in Afghanistan or bringing up a child in the middle of Africa – that's what that means to me — not chatting to a few mates on the grid and then going and watching a sport I love from the TV commentary box. I have the best job in the world.
"99 out of 100 people who come up to me anywhere in the world say they love the grid walk. It has become my signature, so of course I will do it. There are some tracks where the geography from the grid to the commentary box is quite hard.
"Sometimes we have to walk a bit then we have to take a scooter through a tunnel, somebody is waiting at the bottom of a lift, we press a button I go up nine floors, and I get in the commentary box just before the race starts. I am happy to give up a few grids. At ITV I used to do two out of three, which is about right frankly.
"I have got David coming up and between us we have started over 400 grands prix, and attended over 700. We know our sport, and we have got to entertain. We have to inform and I know we will be comfortable ... I am very good mates with DC and we haven't seen the best of DC yet by a long way. That ping pong match is not his forte, he will still be doing that but that is not his best work.
"DC has got such a knowledge of F1 and such banter to go with it, that I am confident he will have plenty to say about a race. I can do the shouty bits when I have to, and yes it is a different job so I will do it differently — but I won't pretend I won't know what I am talking about.
"I won't give him gormless questions like, 'oh that right rear tyre looks a bit odd doesn't it David'. We'll discuss it among ourselves. We will agree, disagree, we will throw to the pit lane and we will tell the story of F1."
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Jim McGill