Martin Brundle is one of the finest Formula 1 drivers to have taken to the tracks, becoming the 1988 World Sportscar Champion and winning the renowned Le Mans 24-hour race in 1990 in a Jaguar XJR-12.
The former British racing driver remains a key figure within the world of motorsport and over the years has become the legendary voice of Formula 1. Martin has a long-standing relationship with Jaguar and speaking passionately to the Academy, he reveals all about his first ever F1 experience back in Rio de Janeiro in 1984.
Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassdaor Martin Brundle
My first Formula One race was in March 1984 at the exotic location of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. My life had been a whirlwind in the previous few months because the 1983 season had seen me in an epic battle with Ayrton Senna in the British Formula 3 championship in which he beat me to the title in the last few laps of the final race.
Our performances, which included many ferocious battles in which we frequently made contact, had attracted much attention from Formula One teams and we would both be elevated directly to the highest level in the sport for 1984. Ayrton drove for Toleman and I signed for the Tyrrell team.
I was 24 years old and still selling cars at my father's dealerships, the move from hobby racer to professional had happened so quickly. Having grown up in rural West Norfolk the dynamic samba beat of sprawling Rio was quite an eye opener to say the least.
It was also very hot and humid, and in many ways I was poorly prepared for my Grand Prix debut. I knew little about physical training and physiotherapy; I was simply as fit as a Formula 3 car had made me although pre season F1 testing had sharpened me up. I was leaning solely on my youthful determination and natural speed which is laughable now but I knew no better, and had nobody around me to advise me. How the sport has changed in 30 years.
Rio was a very tough anti clockwise circuit and I remember feeling physically sick in the car at one point, so extreme was the heat in the cockpit. I qualified 18th in my 'normally aspirated' Tyrrell against the mainly turbo charged opposition. I was ahead of my team mate Stefan Bellof, who would be killed in Belgium 18 months later, and lined up directly behind my F3 rival Senna on the grid.
Our car was much more competitive in race conditions and I had a serene drive through to fifth position, scoring championship points on my debut. Everybody in the team was very excited about this result but I had been used to regularly winning races in F3 and 5th place seemed simply ok. I had no idea just how difficult F1 was, and remains today.
My confidence was high and a few races later I would finish second in Detroit, a few metres behind the winner Nelson Piquet. Just one week later I would have a puncture in Dallas Texas and the subsequent high speed visit to the wall smashed my feet and left ankle. My F1 career would last until 1996 but I never fully recovered from these injuries in terms of finessing an F1 car, especially when left foot braking became essential.
I was luckier than many, Senna died in Imola Italy ten years later and many others suffered horrible injuries which forced the incredible levels of safety we see today.
I was fortunate to become World Champion with Jaguar in sports car racing where we won amazing races like the Le Mans 24 hours and Daytona 24 hours. I learned everything the hard way, which is probably the best way, but for my 21 year old son Alex's racing today I am now able to short cut his painful development process and he is much better prepared than I ever was. But so is the competition as I'm sure is the case in every sport.
I have very fond memories of Rio 1984 now and it reminds me that it's very important to celebrate the good days in sport to help you through the tough times.
Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum and British racing driver Martin Brundle
