The Best F1 Commentators of All-Time
5 of the Greatest Formula 1 commentators ever!
Whilst engine noises and excitable capacity crowds provide the distinctive volume of Grand Prix racing, it would be fair to suggest a Formula 1 race without commentary would be, in essence, an uncompleted soundtrack.
Those behind the microphone will call the race as it develops and is often a two-man team of a broadcaster who takes the lead in describing what is happening, and the ex-driver who provides expert analysis.
In this article, read about the best Formula 1 commentators of all time!
5. James Allen
A well-respected Formula 1 journalist for decades, James Allen’s CV comprises a number of driver biographies.
He has also worked for the Financial Times, ESPN and ITV, where he came to prominence when the corporation took over as Britain’s official F1 broadcaster in 1997.
Originally a pitlane reporter, Allen rose to become full-time commentator in 2002.
In his seven seasons as commentator, Allen did not enjoy much popularity with viewers, with petitions calling for his removal from the role often circulating.
However, with the dreary Jonathan Legard’s two-year stint upon the BBC’s resumption of coverage in 2009, and Sky’s David Croft often dividing opinion, Allen’s excitable style and his insider knowledge of the sport has appreciated with time, and rightly so!
4. David Coulthard
With 14 years of Grand Prix racing – encompassing 13 wins – Scotland’s David Coulthard entered the media side of F1 immediately after his retirement, joining the BBC in 2009 as an analyst.
In 2011, he entered the commentary box, where he has remained since, with both the BBC and Channel 4, where he is currently.
Coulthard’s knowledge as a driver, combined with his neat and personable sense of humour, has left him popular with a number of viewers.
3. Martin Brundle
Fresh out of racing after 12 years in F1, Brundle also moved straight into the broadcasting sector with ITV in 1997.
His brand of sardonic humour and concise analysis has won him fans the world over, with his infamous ‘grid-walks’ a key aspect of Brundle’s popularity.
His command of respect from other drivers, as well as a lack of respect from insipid celebrities and indifference to the situations the grid-walks land him in, has earned Brundle a special place in broadcasting folklore.
His finest moment, perhaps, came at Indianapolis in 2005.
It seemed that for a few moments, the whole sport clamoured around him as he spoke to F1’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone regarding the Michelin tyre fiasco that led to a six-car Grand Prix.
2. James Hunt
The ‘OG’ co-commentator, 1976 World Champion James Hunt entered the broadcasting world in 1979, in a one-off appearance in the commentary box for the British Grand Prix, which became full-time a year later.
In his 13 years with the BBC, Hunt was famed for his acerbic wit and blunt approach, which often included withering put-downs of a number of drivers, mainly troublesome backmarkers.
Notable examples include opining that Jean-Pierre Jarier was ‘a French wally’ who had the ‘mental age of 10’; calling Andrea de Cesaris an ‘idiot’, and describing Rene Arnoux’s apparent reasoning on his own poor driving on naturally-aspirated engines as ‘bullshit.’
A hard-partying free spirit, Hunt died aged 46 in 1993, just days after commentating on the Canadian Grand Prix.
1. Murray Walker
Seriously – who else was going to be number one?
When the BBC commissioned full Formula 1 coverage from 1978, advertising executive and part-time commentator Murray Walker was given the task of calling the races.
When Walker, a former Sherman Tank Commander in World War II, was joined by Hunt in the booth, the pair’s relationship could often be fractious, as the talkative men would share one microphone.
However, the double-act, as well as his partnership with Brundle, was beloved by the loyal viewers not just in the UK, but across the globe.
Such was his fame, Walker was often described as being just as, if not more, famous than some of the drivers he would commentate on.
Known for his excitable commentary and occasional gaffes, for every ‘Murray-ism’, there were always moments that truly encapsulated his ability behind the lip-mic.
Many examples could be used, but perhaps the most recognisable for many was his emotional description of Damon Hill finally becoming World Champion in 1996.
When Walker died in 2021, aged 97, tributes spread across the globe, as for many, he was the voice of Formula 1, and at that moment, we all had to stop, because there were lumps in our throats.
You’ve read about the greatest commentators, now read about the sport’s greatest drivers!
