Martin Brundle was named in the 2025 New Year Honours. The former Formula 1 driver and long-time broadcaster was recognised for services to motor racing and sports broadcasting.
Martin Brundle received one of British sport’s notable honours when he was appointed OBE in the 2025 New Year Honours list. The recognition reflected a career that has carried weight in two different parts of Formula 1: first as a respected grand prix driver, then as one of the sport’s most familiar and trusted television voices.
Brundle raced in F1 during the 1980s and 1990s and later built a second career in broadcasting that proved just as influential.
Martin Lee from London, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
His commentary has long stood out for combining technical understanding with clarity. He could explain tyre behaviour, strategy calls and driver judgement in a way that worked for dedicated followers without shutting out casual viewers.
Formula 1 changed dramatically during the years Brundle was behind the microphone. The sport became more complex, more commercial and more global.
Dell Inc., CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
As a result, broadcasters needed voices that could keep pace with the technical side while still telling the human story. Brundle became especially effective in that role, whether analysing race-defining moments or cutting through the noise around major controversies.
The OBE therefore recognised more than longevity. It acknowledged a rare ability to connect the paddock to the audience with credibility, sharpness and perspective.
For Formula 1, it was also a reminder that the sport’s public understanding is shaped not only by those who race, but also by those who explain it well.
