Commentator Walker's passion for racing keeps on shining through

Murray Walker. Photo /Wairarapa Times-Age

Anyone who has had just a passing interest in Formula One will have heard of, if not actually heard, the BBC's former F1 commentator Murray Walker.

Although retired from regular F1 broadcasts, Walker is still remembered for his infectious excitement while calling races from all around the globe.

Because of his great passion for the sport, and in his hurry to get the unfolding drama across to the fans, he is equally as well known for his many spoonerisms, malapropisms and well, just plain old balls-ups. Here are a couple of examples.

"... and here comes Damon Hill in the Williams. This car is absolutely unique - except for the one behind it, which is exactly the same ..."

"... he's on four grooved front tyres ..."

"You can see the cooling elements coming out of his balaclava." To which Martin Brundle replied, "That's his hair."

"What's that? There's a body on the track!" To which James Hunt replied, "Um, I think that that is a piece of bodywork from someone's car."

"So Bernie [Ecclestone], in the 17 years since you bought McLaren, which of your many achievements do you think was the most memorable?"

"Well I don't remember buying McLaren," said Ecclestone.

Love him or hate him as a commentator, Walker never failed to get an almost schoolboy fervour and passion across in his commentary that would enliven any broadcast.

The Weekend Herald managed to catch up with the 87-year-old at the recent V8 Supercars race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide just after he had called a street race for tin-tops and asked how it all began.

"I started racing motorcycles because my father was a very successful motorcycle racer winning the IOM TT," said Walker.

"I was in a tank regiment during the war and when I came out I started racing bikes for excitement."

Just to make something quite clear about Walker and his tank comment - during World War II he graduated from Sandhurst Military Academy and went on to command a Sherman tank and fight in the Battle of the Reichswald with the Fourth Armoured Brigade.

Motorcycle racing must have been a hell of an adventure back in the late 1940s but Walker didn't stick with it long.

"I was reasonably good at club standard but I was never going to be the superstar I wanted to be. You know what they say - those that can do it do, and those that can't talk about it. So I started talking about racing."

Walker's first commentary was the 1949 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the year before F1 began. He got there via a public address gig at the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb where the BBC was present, and after an audition he got the British Grand Prix job.

"By a process of osmosis I slowly moved in cars starting with rally cross, the British Touring Car championship, F3, F2, F5000 and then eventually when the BBC started doing all the F1 Grand Prix in 1978, I did it until 2001," said Walker.

It is impossible to compare F1 drivers over the various decades as the cars and equipment have changed so much down the years.

"I agree that you cannot define a greatest of all-time because different drivers were in different cars at different times on different circuits with different regulations.

"Having said all that, the one that's been closest to my heart over all the years is Nigel Mansell. He fought his way up from the bottom through very hard times. He should have been world champion three times, he's was gigantically spectacular, controversial but a good old boy," said Walker.

Walker still has the voice for motorsport and V8 Supercars fans will no doubt be hearing him again next year.