Why are voices in motorsport so important?
This whole idea was inspired by a podcast I watched the other night, where former Formula One presenter Will Buxton talked about his move over from Formula One to IndyCar. His decision to switch series caught many by surprise, including myself. He said one of the main reasons for the change was the opportunity to step into the commentary box, a role he used to do many years ago for F2 and F3.
This then got me thinking. My brain would never associate him to commentary and the IndyCar series, so how important is this? Not only in this context but in motorsport as a whole. Why are voices and the associations they create so vital to the viewer at home?
When searching what a motorsports commentator is in its most ‘simplified’ form, they are described as someone who provides ‘context, analysis and emotional engagement to the fans’ when watching a sport.
This idea isn’t just specific to motorsports commentary though. Other sports commentators have the exact same effect, such as Peter Drury who covers the Premier League on Sky Sports. You know if he is commentating, you’re going to enjoy the production of the match, no matter how dull or exciting it may be. He has become synonymous with providing entertaining coverage of Premier League Football, with a similar pattern developing in the world of motorsport.
You can’t talk about motorsport commentary without discussing arguably the greatest motorsport commentator of all time, Murray Walker. Commentating on the sport for just shy of 25 years, Murray Walker became the voice of Formula One worldwide. His partnership alongside 1976 champion James Hunt created some of the most recognisable commentary to this day. His ability to turn the average into the superb was remarkable, delivering iconic lines such as “Do my eyes deceive me or does Senna’s car sound a bit rough” and “There’s nothing wrong with the car, except its on fire”. He made people watch Formula One and he retained and captured an audience in a period where the sport suffered turmoil off and on the track, including the tragic weekend of Imola in 1994 where both Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna tragically lost their lives. But his imperfections are what made him so perfect, with Walker saying, “I don’t make mistakes, I make prophecies which immediately turn out to be wrong.” His grace and charm paved the way for the next generation of commentators to be discovered.
In 2025, recognisable voices are still few and far between. In Formula One, the most notable duo is David Croft and Martin Brundle on Sky Sports. Between the iconic “It’s lights out and away we go” to Martin Brundle’s grid walks, their entertainment influences the success of race day, with a portion of fans just as excited for Brundle’s grid walks in Las Vegas or Texas, as they are for the race.
For me, my favourite motorsport commentator is Leigh Diffey. Having associated his voice with IndyCar and endurance racing coverage such as Le Mans for the last few years, his change from IndyCar to NASCAR on NBC made me realise how crucial voices are. Each season when IndyCar returned, I would be just as excited to know he was covering the race, as I was for the action on track, a theme which continued when he switched to NASCAR on NBC.
NASCAR, like F1, has had pioneers in the commentary world. Ken Squier’s voice guided NASCAR to a national audience, as well as former racers Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr, with Burton known for his popularity and advocacy of safety concerns. As for me, my favourite NASCAR commentator will always be former driver, Darrell Waltrip. He issued one of the most recognisable catchphrases in racing with “Boogity, boogity, boogity, let’s go racing boys”. I think a catchphrase like that is vital. It builds the excitement and anticipation as the race starts, signalling your full, undivided attention.
The trend with all of these examples, is that their sport is steeped in history of over half a century, with legends and icons both off and on the track often sharing their voice on commentary. Conversley, I feel like this is why new sports such as Formula E and Extreme E are struggling to truly breakthrough into the mainstream, no matter how hard they try.
Formula E is currently part-way through their 11th season, with Extreme E being halted part way through their 3rd. Both series have attracted big names to their roster such as ex-F1 drivers Felipe Massa and Jean-Eric Vergne in Formula E and rally legends such as Carlos Sainz Sr and Sebastian Loeb in Extreme E. So why isn’t that enough?
No matter how exciting, or how entertaining, the racing each series produces, they will never be able to compete with the likes of Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR. The small history of the sport alone is enough to deter people from watching. Sky, Channel 4, Fox and NBC are able to draw in former champions, the best pundits and the best commentators, because they have an established audience and a history of being the pinnacle of automotive excellence.
They’re missing the big personalities and the big names who aren’t afraid to ask the questions and say what they are thinking, purely because they can. Formula E and Extreme E will never have their Murray Walker or their Ken Squier, because that generation of ‘heroes’ has passed. They are voices that I can relate to as a 19 year old, but also my grandma who’s in her 80s. Their voices influenced generations and will always remain an integral part of the sports history for years to come.
This is by no means a dig at those who commentate on Formula E and Extreme E, with both sets of teams having more talent in their little finger than I do in total. This instead is a comment on how more recognised and ‘famous’ voices shape our perceptions of sport. We naturally gravitate to the voices and people we know and have built a relationship with.
Commentators in motorsport are so important as they are the ones who are able to bridge the gap between the viewer on the sofa, to being a fan in the stands. They are at times the spokesperson for the masses, but I don’t think that responsibility is lost on them. Channel 4 commentator, Alex Jacques, describes commentary as the “unwinnable battle”, as it’ll never be perfect as it is their raw, uncontrolled emotion at that moment. They say respect isn’t bought, but is earned, and I think that’s true for motorsport commentators. Drivers such as Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell loved Murray Walker, with his legacy having an impact on drivers still to this day.
The best commentators make you feel entranced for the few hours the race is on. They serve as more than just a person talking about fast cars going round in circles. For some they are a friend, an idol / source of inspiration, but for everyone, they are the person you trust to deliver the sport you love.