F1 News: Martin Brundle First To Receive Emotional Murray Walker Award
Sky Sports reporter Martin Brundle has spoken about being the first recipient of the Murray Walker Award, saying it is "a great honour and privilege."
Murray Walker was an English motorsports commentator and journalist and was known for his enthusiastic and distinctive commentating style in Formula One racing. His long career started in the late 1950s, he was still covering F1 full-time until 2001, and he continued part-time until 2020. He was regarded as one of the most recognisable voices in motorsports.
Walker was also known for his catchphrases, such as "Go, go, go!" and "Unless I'm very much mistaken ... I AM very much mistaken." He sadly passed away in March 2021 at the age of 97.
Brundle had the privilege of working with Walker and was one of many to pay tribute to the great commentator when the news of his passing was announced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brundle has spoken about the Murray Walker Award which has been organised by Motorsport UK. The award is to recognise "outstanding excellence in broadcast journalism". Brundle said:
"I'm really pleased that there is an award in Murray's name.
"We lost him during the pandemic and it has been difficult to celebrate his life, so it's really good that there will be an ongoing award.
"To be the first recipient of it is a great honour and privilege."
Brundle added:
"The last time I was out and about with Murray was in this very building here at the RAC Club Pall Mall when they did up the TV room and renamed it after Murray.
"I know how much he loved this building and how much he loved British motorsport.
"And of course, not just Formula 1 but rallycross, motocross - scrambling, as he would have called it -, touring car racing, everything.
"So it fits and I was lucky enough in the first few years of my career on TV to be working alongside him."
When announcing Brundle would be the first recipient of the award, it was explained:
"There could be no better inaugural recipient of this special award than Martin Brundle, a close friend of Walker’s.
“The pair worked together on ITV’s Formula 1 coverage in the nineties and since then Brundle has been an integral member of the BBC’s and more recently Sky Sports’ coverage of Grand Prix racing and is now best-known for his eventful live pre-race grid walks.”