Brits on Pole

Murray Walker, 84-year-old national treasure and the universally-acknowledged voice of F1, returned to his home city of Birmingham yesterday to take his place among its most famous citizens.

If you’d like to know why we think the BBC should axe David Croft and Maurice Hamilton in 2009, sign up some new blood and, yes, even resist the temptation to bring back The Chain, then get yourselves along to the Vee8 blog, where we’ve written a guest post.

This story, reported by ITN, is so wonderful that we simply cannot resist posting it here. It suggests that a film is due to be made about the life of Michael Schumacher, possibly starring the great man as himself. It will, apparently, also be necessary to include a portrayal of commentary legend Murray Walker. Clearly a suitable actor must be found to play the inimitable Englishman. And who do they have in mind?

F1 coverage is moving back to the BBC from next year after Bernie Ecclestone approached the broadcaster to negotiate a new five-year deal.

Murray Walker has revealed the future to Brits on Pole (via the medium of the Daily Telegraph) and it features Michael Schumacher victorious while Lewis Hamilton struggles to fend off a rapidly-closing pack of rivals.

The national treasure that is Murray Walker is about to do a filmed interview with Kevin Garside of the Daily Telegraph. Readers are being invited to submit questions for the vintage commentator, now 84 and still going strong despite giving up regular commentary in 2001.

And they’re off! Usually the musical chairs start a lot earlier in the season. But Ferrari’s decision to re-sign Massa coupled with Alonso’s late departure from McLaren have finally kicked things off - after the last Grand Prix is long behind us. What does all this mean for the famous and the lesser-known British drivers competing for seats in Formula One? Ladies and gentlemen, please place your bets…