Formula 1 Career

Martin participated in twelve F1 world championships between 1984 and 1996. He started 158 Grand Prix, earning 98 points throughout his F1 career.

Martin’s Formula One career began at Tyrrell in 1984. He put in a number of aggressive and fast drives, finishing fifth in his first race at Brazil and then second at Detroit. At the Dallas Grand Prix, Brundle broke his ankles and both feet in a heavy crash during a practice session. Tyrrell were then disqualified from the world championship due to a technical infringement, wiping Martin's achievements for that season from the record books. He later recalled the events of his first year in F1...

" l was disqualified from second place in the USA Grand Prix in Detroit, with my Tyrrell team banned for the rest of the season. Those of you with a competitive nature will understand that as it is only 21 years ago and I am still breathing, I remain angry about it.

Tyrrell were banned for having traces of fuel in a water tank, which was therefore deemed to be an auxiliary fuel tank. As the only cars with a non-turbo engine, we never even filled the main tank, as we didn’t have enough power to use it. We were pulling a different stunt with ballast which was ignored because we were within the word of the regulations, although definitely not the spirit.

Ken Tyrrell wouldn’t sign an agreement giving the turbos a fuel break, so they needed him out of the championship to negate his vote and achieve the required unanimity.

Meanwhile, I smashed my legs up at the very next race in Dallas while the politics unfolded. Back in the UK, a surgeon reconnected my left foot onto my lower leg, and with both legs strapped up in the air, I was just about able to take a phone call one evening. The journalist wanted a comment about my disqualification and ban. I knew nothing about it.

I still have the Detroit trophy at home, but my fifth place in Rio and my podium in Detroit from 1984 do not appear in the record books. "

For the next two seasons he remained with Tyrrell, but without a works engine supply the team struggled against the works engine teams. In 1987 he switched to Zakspeed, but the car was unable to compete with the frontrunners and he managed only two points with a 5th place in the San Marino Grand Prix . These two points were the only ones in the team's history.

Four years of F1 racing for underfunded teams led him to seek a new challenge, and thus he took a year out and competed in the 1988 World Sportscar Championship. He was not totally out of F1 that year - He was also a full time test driver for Williams and was a stand in driver at the Belgian Grand Prix , after Nigel Mansell was struck down with chickenpox. In 1989 he returned to F1 full time with the returning Brabham squad, but the former champions were unable to recapture their early 1980s success and Brundle opted to move back into the sports car arena for 1990.

Brundle returned to Brabham for 1991 but the car remained uncompetitive. Martin impressed seasoned observers with drives into the points in the underperforming car, which was the last points finish for the Brabham team. This helped Brundle get a 1992 switch to Benetton alongside Michael Schumacher. Here he would finally claim a recognised podium finish and consistent points finishes with some gritty drives.

He came close to a win at Canada, but having overtaken his team mate and closing on leader Gerhard Berger, the transmission failed. He never out qualified team-mate Michael Schumacher, but made up places with excellent starts (sixth to third at Silverstone), outraced the German at Imola, Montreal, Magny-Cours and Silverstone, and scored a notable second place at Monza.

At Spa, Brundle went by when Schumacher went off the track. Schumacher noticed blisters on his team-mate's tyres on his return to the circuit and came in for slicks, a move that won him the race. Had Brundle not been distracted he would have pitted as planned at the end of that lap, with victory being a likely result. 1992 was his best F1 season, and is regarded by many in F1 as the closest any team mate has come to matching Schumacher.

To the shock of the F1 paddock, Brundle found himself dropped from Benetton for 1993, Italian Riccardo Patrese taking his place. He came very close to a seat with world champions Williams, but in the end Damon Hill got the drive instead. Still in demand within F1, Brundle raced for Ligier in 1993. More points finishes and a fine third at Imola were achieved in a car without active suspension.

For 1994 Brundle was in the frame for the vacant McLaren seat alongside Mika Häkkinen. McLaren were hopeful of re-signing Alain Prost, who had retired at the end of 1993 after winning his fourth championship title, but Prost decided not to renege on his retirement in March, and Brundle got the drive. He was confirmed less than two weeks before the season-opening 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Joining the team was a case of bad timing in many ways. McLaren were on a downturn and throughout 1994 were unable to win. The team's Peugeot engines were unreliable, as was to be expected from a debuting engine supplier. At Silverstone Brundle's engine appeared to explode just as the starting lights turned green. In reality the culprit was a clutch that cracked spilling its lubricants on top of hot engine causing a spectacular fire. Nevertheless, when the car was reliable, Brundle put in strong performances that season, most notably at Monaco where he finished second to Schumacher.

Having had poor luck and with Nigel Mansell signed to McLaren for 1995, Brundle once more raced for Ligier that year, although not for the full season. To appease engine supplier Mugen-Honda, Ligier agreed to Martin sharing his seat with Aguri Suzuki, a move denounced by many commentators and fans. He raced in 11 of the 17 races that year which included a strong fourth at Magny-Cours and what would be his last F1 podium at Spa.

In 1996 he teamed up with Rubens Barrichello at Jordan and enjoyed a good season, despite a slow start and a spectacular crash at Melbourne's inaugural GP, with regular points, fourth his best result. He finished fifth in the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix, which was his last Grand Prix in Formula One.

Brundle had hoped to stay in F1 beyond 1996, but could not find a seat. He was offered a seat at Sauber in 1997 following the dropping of Nicola Larini, but decided against it.

In his F1 career Brundle achieved 9 podiums, and scored a total of 98 championship points, with a best championship finish of 6th in 1992. He was especially strong on street circuits and similarly slow-speed, twisty courses — Monaco, Adelaide and the Hungaroring each produced 4 points finishes for him.

He holds the dubious distinction of having the longest Formula One career (158 Grand Prix starts) without a race victory, a pole position or a fastest lap. Despite these statistics Martin claimed nine podium finishes and was well regarded as an F1 driver, being considered by many as one of the top ten drivers never to have won a race.

Martin gained arguable more success when he moved form the cockpit into the TV commentary box as an F1 commentator.

Despite his F1 career being over, Brundle has subsequently gain access to the cockpit of an F1 car on a number of occasions. He took the wheel of a Jaguar F1 car for the Formula One demonstration in London prior to the 2004 British Grand Prix and drove a BMW Sauber during a demonstration in 2006. Also in 2006, Brundle drove a 2005 Red Bull Racing car around Silverstone as part of a TV feature. This was followed up in 2007 with Brundle and colleague Blundell both driving Williams F1 cars to demonstrate overtaking. In 2008 he filmed a number of features driving old F1 cars including his 1992 Benneton.

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