It’s rare that it feels as though somebody has been taken too soon at 97. And yet that is how it feels with the loss of Murray Walker.
The voice of Formula 1 for half a century, Murray – as the entire sport affectionately referred to him – had what was described as a ‘pants on fire’ style of commentary; his infectious enthusiasm for the sport oozed from his every word and he had an innate ability to produce the perfect line for the moment. This most likely stemmed from his earlier career in advertising. Murray famously coined the slogan ‘made to make your mouth water’ for Opal Fruits and his team created ‘a Mars a day helps you work, rest and play’.
Of course, there were the ‘Murrayisms’: “This would have been Senna’s third win in a row, if he’d won the two before…”; “Mansell is slowing down, taking it easy. Oh no he isn’t – it’s a lap record!”; “I’m ready to stop my startwatch!”; and of course, “There is nothing wrong with his car, except that it is on fire!”
A lesser commentator would likely have been criticised for these mistakes but, if anything, they just made Murray even more treasured – both by the viewers at home and every member of the paddock.
And he was never above poking fun at himself – he called his autobiography ‘Unless I’m Very Much Mistaken’ and often played up to his caricature, such as in his Pizza Hut advert alongside Damon Hill.
It is unfair to focus solely on the enthusiasm and the endearing mistakes, though, as Murray was a true professional. He would often visit races in the lower formulae to spot the next up-and-coming talent and was never without his fastidious notes, which he would not allow James Hunt to see during their pairing in the commentary box. The Walker-Hunt partnership was a tale of two totally opposing characters who – whilst they often disagreed and even nearly came to blows – made an incredibly entertaining team and came to share a great mutual respect.
The later combination of Murray with Martin Brundle was another huge success, Brundle politely correcting Murray when he made an overexcited mistake and complimenting the experienced man’s excitement with his technical nous and ability to turn a phrase of his own. Brundle says, “Learning to commentate on motorsport alongside Murray Walker for a number of years was like having Pele teach you how to kick a ball”.
It is worth remembering just how much Murray achieved in his life. In addition to his commentary and advertising careers, a young Walker joined the armed forces and went on to command a Sherman tank in World War 2, eventually leaving the Army having attained the rank of captain. He even once recalled visiting the area of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in a tank in 1944.
Murray claimed that his OBE was the proudest moment of his life. It is a real shame that he never received what would have been a thoroughly deserved knighthood, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was, and will remain, a national treasure who defined a sport for far more than one generation of fans.
As Brundle elegantly puts it, ‘It was never work to Murray, it was never just commentating, it was simply telling the world about something he loved”.
In the words of the great man, “I’ve got to stop because I’ve got a lump in my throat.”
