Murray Walker
PHOTOGRAPHY
Broadcasting legend Murray Walker, who has died at the age of 97, made a huge contribution to growth in interest in Formula 1 in Britain. Generations of fans grew up listening to his voice describing the exploits of drivers such as Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill and Jenson Button. To the wider public he was best known for his occasional gaffes and the “trousers on fire” commentary style so famously described by Clive James.
At heart he was a hardworking and hugely knowledgeable enthusiast, who was admired and respected by the drivers and team bosses, and by everyone who knew him in paddocks across different disciplines. His fame extended well beyond the UK, since his commentaries went also to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. More people listened to him in the Netherlands and Belgium than followed their local broadcasters.
He came into broadcasting in the slipstream of his father. The name Graham Walker figured large in his life, and Murray made no secret of the fact that he always tried to live up to his dad’s legacy. “I was born into a motorsport family,” he explained. “My father was a professional racing motorcyclist from round about 1920 to 1935. I used to go on the continent with him and my mother, attending races.
“It struck me as being quite normal, because it’s what my father did. But while I was going to Germany, Holland, Belgium and Italy it was quite unusual for people in England to have been to Scotland, or
