ITV F1's Martin Brundle will take a weekend away from his usual commentary duties at the inaugural
GPlive event at
Donington Park next month – but he will still be performing his now famous pre-race
Formula 1 grid walk.
The former grand prix ace – who raced for Tyrrell,
Williams, Brabham, Benetton,
McLaren, Ligier and Jordan among others over the course of a career in the top flight that spanned some 13 years and took in no fewer than 158 grands prix – will take to the grid on 20 May, the third and final day of the celebration that is set to take in the sight and sound of more than 200 grand prix cars.
During his walkabout, Brundle will meet fans and sign autographs, in addition to hosting a lively Q&A session in the
GPlive ‘Heroes Hall' in the Donington Park paddock, giving the public the chance to put their questions to one of the sport's most charismatic and knowledgeable pundits.
The 47-year-old will also drive the 1983 Tyrrell-Ford – now owned by Nick Mason – which was one of the last cars to be powered by the Ford Cosworth DFV engine. The Tyrrell will complete a line-up of 40 DFV-powered machines assembled to create a stunning ‘wall of sound' to mark the 40th anniversary of the engine's debut victory.
Brundle made his Formula 1 debut with Tyrrell in 1984, the year after going head-to-head with
Ayrton Senna for the British F3 title. After leaving Tyrrell at the end of the 1986 season, the Norfolk ace subsequently racked up nine grand prix podium finishes and went on to partner seven-time world champion
Michael Schumacher in 1992 before hanging up his helmet four years later.
Away from single-seaters, Brundle is also one of Britain's most successful sportscar racers, and triumphed in the mythical Le Mans 24 Hours in 1990 with Jaguar. He also made history by finishing first
and second in the same race at Monza in 1991, driving both the team's Jaguar XJRs at different stages in the endurance event
