Formula 1 broadcasting legend Martin Brundle has been recognised in the New Year's Honours list. Brundle, a former F1 driver himself, has been a stalwart of television coverage of the sport for more than two decades. And his work has been recognised in the Honours list - the 65-year-old has been made an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to motor racing and sports broadcasting.
Born in King's Lynn, Norfolk, Brundle enjoyed more than a decade racing at the pinnacle of motorsport. He made his F1 world championship debut in 1984 and spent the first portion of his career in the sport driving for teams that suffered from funding issues.
But that changed in 1992 when his efforts for the struggling Brabham outfit helped him to land a seat at Benetton, alongside Michael Schumacher. He never outqualified the German but still performed well and was unlucky not to win a race. He later raced for Ligier, McLaren and then Jordan in the 1996 season which proved to be his final racing in the sport. Brundle stood on nine F1 podiums in 158 race starts and is regarded as one of the sport's finest drivers ever who never won a Grand Prix.
Yet, to this day, he remains heavily involved in F1. He moved into commentary and punditry when he retired from racing and has become a fans' favourite across spells working for ITV, the BBC and Sky Sports. Brundle is famed for his knowledge of the sport and for his willingness to offer cutting analysis and criticism when needed. But perhaps his most famous role is for hosting pre-race grid walks, which he has been doing for more than two decades but which have become particularly popular in recent years.
