Martin Brundle Awarded Order Of The British Empire For Services To Motor Racing And Sports Broadcasting

Formula 1 pundit and former driver Martin Brundle has been honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the British Royal Family for his contributions to motor racing and sports broadcasting. Prince William, the heir to the British throne, presented Brundle with the award at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.

Brundle, who is widely known for creating the iconic F1 pre-race grid walk, has become an integral part of Formula 1 broadcasts since he began conducting interviews on the grid at the 1997 British Grand Prix. His off-the-cuff style and memorable moments, such as his viral exchanges with Megan Thee Stallion at the 2021 U.S. Grand Prix and mistaking Paolo Banchero for Patrick Mahomes at the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, have contributed to the popularity of his segment.

Speaking to Sky Sports News after receiving the award, Brundle expressed his gratitude and sense of privilege, stating, “It made me feel very lucky and very privileged because always something like this, you receive on behalf of an awful lot of other people because either they were designing and creating and fixing my racing cars, or working with us in the broadcasting industry.”

He added, “You can’t do anything on your own at the level of Formula 1. I’ve been very lucky to have two careers in F1 as a driver and a broadcaster, which this award has been presented for. When the letter came through just before Christmas, I was ecstatic.”

Reflecting on the format he has become famous for, Brundle explained, “We’re only there to tell the story, the stories about the cars and the drivers, and we’re there to explain what is a fast-moving and highly complex sport. We try to find people, we talk, and I think because it’s a bit edgy and sometimes it fails miserably, I think people are kind of living it, if I’m having a good day or a bad day.”

He continued, “I’ve never watched one in 27 years of doing it because it’s not my natural habitat to run around being cheeky and interrupting people, but it’s sort of grown a life of its own. What it was put in for originally was to ramp up the excitement before the grand prix.”

Mercedes driver George Russell was among those who congratulated Brundle on the honour, posting on social media, “Congrats Martin, well deserved. Best in the business!!”

Brundle’s OBE recognizes his significant contributions to both motor racing and sports broadcasting, cementing his status as a respected and beloved figure in the Formula 1 community.