Formula 1 Hot News

Legendary F1 announcer Murray Walker dead at 97 (Update)

Posted by AR1 staff

How many of you ever saw this Pizza Hut Commercial with Murray Walker and Damon Hill?

March 14, 2021 

We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary F1 announcer Murray Walker – the voice of F1 that so many of us grew up learning to love F1 and the greatest F1 commentator that ever was.

Tributes from Formula 1 drivers and personalities have come flooding in after former F1 commentator Murray Walker – the voice of the World Championship for generations of fans – passed away on Saturday at the age of 97.

Having joined the BBC as full-time commentator from 1978, Murray eventually called time on his illustrious career after the 2001 United States Grand Prix, having become one of the most popular broadcasters in the business. He was best known for his excitable style and his many famous ‘Murrayisms’, and was a legendary figure in the motorsport world long after he finally hung up his microphone.

Murray Walker

Richard Giles of the Guardian put it best – “The affection with which he was held by the paddock and across the sport rose from an enthusiasm and often overlooked a dedication to his craft that has rarely been matched in any discipline. Few commentators come to truly epitomize their subject, but over Walker’s 23 years of bringing F1 to the nation he was acknowledged as a true great, and a unique talent.

“Walker first commentated on F1 full-time in 1978 for the BBC. His excitable, enthusiastic style quickly became his trademark. Clive James famously referred to him as talking like a man “whose trousers were on fire”. Yet, his effervescence was the product of a genuine love for the sport and his desire to convey the passion he felt to fans. He succeeded beyond compare.”