IMS_Blog

During Sunday’s “European” Formula 1 grand prix (at Nürburgring—though not of course the glorious Nordschleife) BBC Radio 5 had a treat for us. Murray Walker commentating once more. And suddenly F1 was racing once more. As the race was made interesting by a typical Nürburgring sudden rain downpour, I could hear in my mind the normal ITV F1 commentators having sober and careful discussions of tyre choice. Meanwhile Murray made it as exciting as it was, with a voice that sounds like an engine speeding round the track. The thing is that while the technical discussion is interesting (if a little patronising for those who understand the sport), and news from the pits always welcome, it’s boring as hell. Murray may get things wrong but you forgive him because his commentary is as much as seat of the pants stuff as the unbelievable reflexes of the drivers he’s watching. We miss him. Please come back again (I’d listen to Radio 5 all the time if they had Murray).

Incidentally, I would have had that race red flagged much earlier, as soon as it became obvious no one could really get round turn 1, and there was a real danger of running into an already off car. That Liuzzi could almost collect the safety car and tap the recovery tractor asks some serious questions for such a safety obsessed sport—that could have easily been a lot worse than it was.