interesting interview.martin brundle

[RWC]

Just a quick note to make sure you've all seen this story
-a martin brundle interview.Nothing huge but he goes into good detail
http://www.itv-f1.com/asktheteam/asktheteam_story/17428

[Adam43]

Before reading it:

Thanks. He is best thing about ITV - he is someone who is both articulate and knows about F1.

Edit: didn't make sense!

[Adam43]

After reading. Very good. Here are a couple of things I liked.

Secondly it was this:

I have noticed that being a commentator I can say a thousand positive and good things about a team or driver but one negative statement – even if it is true – will quickly result in a phone call or bad vibes. So be it. My primary duty is to the viewers and I have to tell it the way I honestly see it - after all it’s only my opinion - and if Michael or anybody else has a problem with that then too bad.

Firstly it was this:

I have been quite vociferous about my dislike for fully automatic gearboxes and particularly traction control.

Proper.

[Adam43]

Oh and it appears tha Martin is the worlds greatest achiever:

My primary role for David is to make sure that he has a driving contract. Therefore I am the sole person in charge of negotiating that.

(joke)

[Adam43]

sorry to hark on, but this is interesting

...the bottom line is that, whatever my wheeling and dealing abilities, David secured his ninth season at McLaren because they wanted him, he can get the job done both in and out of the car and he wanted to stay.

He's right too. I'm not the world's bigest DC fan (understatement), but Ron (et al.) is not stupid (despite the comedyness that is said).

And it seems Martin is pretty good at more than juat driving and talking:

...I am very satisfied with the contracts I have put in place for David over the years - under a management agreement that happened by accident - and clearly so is he otherwise I would be searching for a new contract for myself.

[Jukebox]

As for his biased and one sided commentary on itv and being Michael's obvious hater while commenting live....i don have respect for him. Perhaps he should just resign if he can't comment fairly...

*Lucky i have the option to switch to ESPN-StarSports

[BootsOntheSide]

When has Martin Brundle ever criticised Michael or excessively praised DC?

[PaulSands]

I have always been impressed that he doesn't sugar up the commentary regarding DC

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Jukebox
As for his biased and one sided commentary on itv and being Michael's obvious hater while commenting live....i don have respect for him. Perhaps he should just resign if he can't comment fairly...

I totally disagree with this. He praises Michael a lot (when deserved) and, if anything, I have thought he has over criticised DC.

[Adam43]

from the above article

Michael and I spoke about it all. I cannot really remember the conversation as it was some time ago but it certainly, to a small extent, soured our relationship. That miffs me a bit because I have always been – and remain – an enormous fan of Michael’s skills and abilities in and out of the car and his down-to-earth family approach to life. Over the years I have waxed lyrical about this both as a driver and as a journalist which is what I suppose I am now.

It seems Martin thinks his driving is excellent and that Michael is a decent bloke.

[garcon]

Jukebox, are you sure you're talking about Martin Brundle? He's the ex F1 driver who commentates on ITV in the UK. The one who knows the sport inside out, provides insight and detail unparalleled by anyone else, and is studiously fair and even handed when commenting on drivers, teams and F1 in general.

I cannot remember a single occasion when he has appeared to me to be at all biased, unfair or one-sided, and I'm positive he's never criticised Michael unfairly or shown himself to be anything like a 'Michael hater'.

[RWC]

"a thousand good comments V. one bad comment"

I noticed that too.He doesn't say that michael dislikes him now (just likes less probably) but it does give an interesting insight into the way michael thinks...as if we didn't know this allready.He thought it was fine that he chopped ralf(or whatever it was),he actually thought he had done nothing at all wrong...odd that

[jonathanc]

I think ITV F1 commentary would be the pits without Martin. He is VERY good at explaining exactly what is happening to the cars and why. He is also very quick at spotting problems which I bet arent spotted anywhere near as quickly by other channels crews.

[ralf fan]

Like the guys above i think F1 commentry would be dead without MB.He's fair and gives all the drivers praises when they deserve it.

[Knowlesy]

Martin Brundle is the greatest commentator F1 has ever seen (or should that be heard?). Even better than Murray.

And he never sides with DC or criticises Michael needlessly Jukebox!!! EVER!

[Jukebox]

Should have listened to him last year race after race commentary right after the Austrian GP...anyway, we do get ITV live coverage plus his commentary here. It's not a big issue anyhow

[Snrub]

MS has nothing to complain about. There have been plenty of times where Brundle will say MS drove the best race in the field because he won, even though there will be another guy who drove faster relative to their car and passed multiple drivers.

The fact that MS has a problem with Brundle makes me dislike his personality even more.

[jetsetter]

I've always had a lot of time for Brundle, he is insightful & knowledgeable & i don't think he's overly biased towards DC, without Brundle the ITV commentary team would be dead boring.

[BootsOntheSide]

Brundle didn't commentate on the Austrian Grand Prix last year due to some 'family emergency'. Mark Blundell was in the commentary box for that one.

In any case, you'd have to have beena Ferrari or Shcumahcer fanatic to not realise that some criticism was valid in taht situation. I'm nto gonna dig this one out again, but that move did have serious implications on F1 and defiantely reduced viewing figures.

[Adam43]

So it is Blundell you don't like Jukes? or maybe it is based on more than one race, perhaps a couple of Canadian races in the late 90s too?

[Redlake27]

Blundell is a charisma free zone as a commentator and doesn't add much in terms of factual knowledge......but I agree that Brundle is outstanding...... I actually liked Jonathan Palmers old BBC commentary too, but most didn't.

[Jukebox]

I have stopped viewing the ITV live races unless ESPN-StarSports shows the advertisements....anyway, i didn't say he was biased when commenting about DC. I think he hates everything there is about Michael....if he did have changed recently, i certainly didn't notice and good for him.

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Jukebox
I think he hates everything there is about Michael....if he did have changed recently, i certainly didn't notice and good for him.

So, your convinced that he hates Michael, but you haven't actually listened to him to see if you are correct or not?

[RWC]

Fully agree that itv would be a laughingstock without martin.I kind of wonder sometimes how often he holds himself back during commentary from critisizing james allen,LOL