Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell (born 8 April 1966) is a British racing driver who competed in Formula One for four seasons, sports cars, and CART. He won the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a Formula One presenter for the British broadcaster ITV until the end of the 2008 season when the TV broadcasting rights switched to the BBC. Blundell returned to the track in 2019, driving in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for the Trade Price Cars team.
Blundell in 2011 | |
| Born | 8 April 1966 Barnet, London, England, UK |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality | British |
| Active years | 1991, 1993–1995 |
| Teams | Brabham, Ligier, Tyrrell and McLaren |
| Entries | 63 (61 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Career points | 32 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1991 United States Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1995 Australian Grand Prix |
Background
Blundell was born in Barnet, London. He first dabbled in motor sport at the age of 14, racing motocross bikes across England. At the age of 17 he made the switch to four wheels, starting his driving career in Formula Ford. In his first season he placed second in both British Junior Formula Ford Championships. The following year, Blundell won both the Esso British and Snetterton Formula Ford 1600 crowns. The next year, he began racing in the more powerful Formula Ford 2000 category, and won the BBC Grandstand series. He returned to FF1600 to compete in the European Championship racing, taking pole,[clarification needed] and finishing fourth overall. In 1986, he won another championship in Formula Ford 2000, this time the European title.
In 1987, Blundell moved on to racing in Formula 3000[1] and started a number of Formula Three races for TOM'S-Toyota.[1] 1988 brought a switch to the works Lola team in F3000. Blundell completed the season in sixth place.[1]
Formula One
Blundell signed with the sports car team at Nissan for 1989, landing a factory seat. He also managed a test drive with Williams F1 Team. By 1990, Blundell left F3000 to concentrate on sports cars. That same year, he earned pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race driving a Nissan R90CK. Blundell became the youngest driver to achieve pole position at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with a 6.040-second margin ahead of second place.[2]
1991 marked Blundell's transition into Formula One. His debut season saw a sixth place in Belgium with the Brabham Yamaha team while also maintaining his testing deal with Williams. However, the following season, he was not retained by Brabham, and was left without a race seat in Formula One. He declined Williams' offer to stay on as their test driver for 1992, as he had his eyes solely on a full-time race seat. He told his contemporary Damon Hill about the vacant Williams test seat, which Hill eventually took. Having failed to land a drive for 1992, Blundell eventually signed a testing deal with McLaren. Whilst being a full-time tester for McLaren, he also continued to race sports cars. That year, with the factory Peugeot outfit, he won the Le Mans 24 Hours, adding to his earlier pole.
Blundell returned to Formula One in 1993. A drive with Ligier netted him his first two podium finishes in South Africa and Germany, and tenth in the final World Championship standings. It was a one-year deal with Ligier, however, and in 1994 Blundell signed with Tyrrell. Blundell managed only one podium finish in the 1994 Spanish Grand Prix, which was the last Formula One podium finish for Tyrrell. At the end of the season, owing to lack of sponsorship, Tyrrell released Blundell as the retirement of Nigel Mansell meant a return to McLaren, this time, in a race seat. Teamed with future two-time world champion Mika Häkkinen, Blundell recorded five points finishes and once again took tenth in the final standings. 1995 also saw continued success in sports cars with a fourth place showing in Le Mans, but was Blundell's final year in Formula One, owing to the signing of David Coulthard by McLaren.
Blundell achieved 3 podiums, and scored a total of 32 championship points.
Blundell came close to making a return to Formula One in 2001. He had advanced negotiations with Prost Grand Prix to be the team's test and development driver but the deal was not concluded.[3]
CART
| Mark Blundell | |
|---|---|
| CART World Series | |
| Years active | 1996–2000 |
| Teams | PacWest Racing |
| Starts | 81 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 6th in 1997 |
| Awards | |
| 1997 | Autosport British Driver of the Year |
Out of Formula One, Blundell moved to the United States and joined the CART racing team PacWest, alongside fellow former Formula One driver Maurício Gugelmin. Early in the season, Blundell crashed head-on into a concrete wall in Rio, resulting in a broken foot and ankle and forcing him to miss three races. Despite this, he was third in the rookie standings with three top six finishes in the U.S. 500, Detroit Grand Prix, and Michigan International Speedway races.
In 1997 Blundell came within one corner of winning the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix before running out of fuel, an event he described at the time as the worst disappointment of his career.[4] In the next race, he passed Gil de Ferran on the final straight to win the Grand Prix of Portland by 0.027 seconds. Blundell recorded further race victories in Toronto and Fontana en route to sixth in the championship. That year he was also named British Driver of the Year by Autosport magazine.
A crash whilst testing at Gateway in early 1999 left Blundell to miss 8 races in the middle of the 1999 season. He returned to PacWest for a final season in 2000. However, after finishing 21st in the championship with 18 points, he left PacWest racing by mutual agreement.
From driving to commentating
Blundell again crossed the Atlantic to focus on his sports car racing. He failed to finish Le Mans with the MG Lola team, though he and his teammates impressed. Off-track, Blundell joined ITV television in Britain as an analyst for the 2002 Formula One season. This position lasted until the end of the 2008 Formula One season when ITV lost coverage to the BBC.
Since 2001, Blundell's racing involvement has steadily declined, with only the occasional event. He did test a Dale Coyne Champ Car to help prepare Darren Manning for a one-off in the first CART race in Britain at Rockingham, and raced in the British round of the World Rally Championship. In 2003, along with Johnny Herbert and David Brabham, he finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, completing a 1–2 sweep by Bentley. In 2003 he finished third at the 12 Hours of Sebring driving for Bentley alongside Johnny Herbert and David Brabham.[citation needed]
From 2004, Blundell ran a management company, 2MB Sports Management, with fellow ex-F1 driver and friend Martin Brundle, until Brundle decided to devote more time to his television career.[5][6] The company represent drivers including McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, British Formula 3 champion and IndyCar driver Mike Conway, Ferrari junior Callum Ilott, BMW backed racer Tom Blomqvist, IndyCar driver Jordan King, British F4 champion Kiern Jewiss and British GT driver Patrick Kibble.
Helmet
Blundell's helmet is yellow with three red stripes and two yellow gaps in the middle, a blue stripe in the entire chin area and a blue circle on the top with his golden initials on it. The rear of his helmet bears the motto "The Will To Win" – a quote from his grandfather.[7]
Racing record
Career summary
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (December 2021) |
† As Blundell was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
Complete International Formula 3000 results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Fleetray Racing | SIL Ret | VAL 6 | SPA 2 | PAU | DON 9 | BRH 6 | BIR DNQ | 14th | 5 | ||||
| BS Automotive | PER 9 | IMO Ret | BUG Ret | JAR 8 | ||||||||||
| 1988 | Lola Motorsport | JER 2 | VAL 5 | PAU Ret | SIL 9 | MNZ Ret | PER Ret | BRH 3 | BIR Ret | BUG 7 | ZOL 2 | DIJ Ret | 6th | 18 |
| 1989 | Middlebridge | SIL 3 | VAL Ret | PAU 6 | JER DNQ | PER Ret | BRH Ret | BIR 5 | SPA DNS | BUG Ret | DIJ 6 | 11th | 8 |
Complete Japanese Formula 3000 Championship results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Footwork Racing International | SUZ | FUJ | MIN | SUZ | SUG | FUJ | SUZ | SUZ Ret | NC | 0 |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Nissan Motorsports | Julian Bailey Martin Donnelly | Nissan R89C | C1 | 5 | DNF | DNF |
| 1990 | Nissan Motorsports International | Julian Bailey Gianfranco Brancatelli | Nissan R90CK | C1 | 142 | DNF | DNF |
| 1992 | Peugeot Talbot Sport | Derek Warwick Yannick Dalmas | Peugeot 905 Evo 1B | C1 | 352 | 1st | 1st |
| 1995 | GTC Gulf Racing | Ray Bellm Maurizio Sandro Sala | McLaren F1 GTR | GT1 | 291 | 4th | 3rd |
| 2001 | MG Sport & Racing Ltd. | Julian Bailey Kevin McGarrity | MG-Lola EX257 | LMP675 | 92 | DNF | DNF |
| 2002 | MG Sport & Racing Ltd. | Julian Bailey Kevin McGarrity | MG-Lola EX257 | LMP675 | 219 | DNF | DNF |
| 2003 | Team Bentley | David Brabham Johnny Herbert | Bentley Speed 8 | LMGTP | 375 | 2nd | 2nd |
Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Motor Racing Developments Ltd | Brabham BT59Y | Yamaha V12 | USA Ret | BRA Ret | 18th | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Brabham BT60Y | Yamaha V12 | SMR 8 | MON Ret | CAN DNQ | MEX Ret | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | GER 12 | HUN Ret | BEL 6 | ITA 12 | POR Ret | ESP Ret | JPN DNPQ | AUS 17 | |||||||
| 1993 | Ligier Gitanes Blondes | Ligier JS39 | Renault V10 | RSA 3 | BRA 5 | EUR Ret | SMR Ret | ESP 7 | MON Ret | CAN Ret | FRA Ret | GBR 7 | GER 3 | HUN 7 | BEL 11 | ITA Ret | POR Ret | JPN 7 | AUS 9 | 10th | 10 | |
| 1994 | Tyrrell | Tyrrell 022 | Yamaha V10 | BRA Ret | PAC Ret | SMR 9 | MON Ret | ESP 3 | CAN 10 | FRA 10 | GBR Ret | GER Ret | HUN 5 | BEL 5 | ITA Ret | POR Ret | EUR 13 | JPN Ret | AUS Ret | 12th | 8 | |
| 1995 | Marlboro McLaren Mercedes | McLaren MP4/10 | Mercedes V10 | BRA 6 | ARG Ret | SMR | ESP | 10th | 13 | |||||||||||||
| McLaren MP4/10B | MON 5 | CAN Ret | FRA 11 | GBR 5 | GER Ret | HUN Ret | BEL 5 | ITA 4 | PAC 9 | JPN 7 | AUS 4 | |||||||||||
| McLaren MP4/10C | POR 9 | EUR Ret |
Complete CART results
(key)
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | PacWest Racing | Reynard 96i | Ford XB V8 t | MIA 17 | RIO 27 | SRF Inj | LBH Inj | NZR Inj | 500 5 | MIL 22 | DET 5 | POR 8 | CLE 11 | TOR 11 | MIS 6 | MDO 10 | ROA 20 | VAN 12 | LS 24 | 16th | 41 | ||||
| 1997 | PacWest Racing | Reynard 97i | Mercedes-Benz IC108D V8 t | MIA 14 | SRF 8 | LBH 13 | NZR 19 | RIO 8 | STL 24 | MIL 12 | DET 17 | POR 1 | CLE 9 | TOR 1* | MIS 2 | MDO 26 | ROA 16* | VAN 7 | LS 2 | FON 1 | 6th | 115 | |||
| 1998 | PacWest Racing | Reynard 97i | Mercedes-Benz IC108D V8 t | MIA 12 | MOT 10 | LBH 7 | 18th | 36 | |||||||||||||||||
| Reynard 98i | Mercedes-Benz IC108E V8 t | NZR 20 | RIO 11 | STL 10 | MIL 12 | DET 22 | POR 22 | CLE 10 | TOR 26 | MIS 17 | MDO 19 | ROA 7 | VAN 12 | LS 25 | HOU 14 | SRF 11 | FON 6 | ||||||||
| 1999 | PacWest Racing | Reynard 99i | Mercedes-Benz IC108E V8 t | MIA 8 | MOT 24 | LBH 13 | NZR 17 | RIO Inj | STL Inj | MIL Inj | POR Inj | CLE Inj | ROA Inj | TOR Inj | MIS Inj | DET 10 | MDO 13 | CHI 21 | VAN 19 | LS 12 | HOU 24 | SRF 19 | FON 16 | 23rd | 9 |
| 2000 | PacWest Racing | Reynard 2Ki | Mercedes-Benz IC108F V8 t | MIA 13 | LBH 8 | RIO 7 | MOT 19 | NZR 17 | MIL 17 | DET 11 | POR 20 | CLE 12 | TOR 22 | MIS 19 | CHI 23 | MDO 14 | ROA 11 | VAN 25 | LS 13 | STL 23 | HOU 20 | SRF 11 | FON 15 | 21st | 18 |
Complete WRC results
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | MG Sport & Racing | MG ZR S1600 | MON | SWE | FRA | ESP | CYP | ARG | GRC | KEN | FIN | GER | ITA | NZL | AUS | GBR Ret | NC | 0 |
Complete American Le Mans Series results
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Team Bentley | LMGTP | Bentley Speed 8 | Bentley 4.0 L Turbo V8 | SEB 3 | ATL | SON | TRO | MOS | AME | MON | MIA | PET | 21st | 19 |
Complete British Touring Car Championship results
(key) Races in bold indicate pole position (1 point awarded – 2002–2003 all races, 2004–present just in first race) Races in italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded all races) * signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap (1 point awarded – 2002 just in feature races, 2003–present all races)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | DC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | TradePriceCars.com | Audi S3 Saloon | BRH 1 14 | BRH 2 27 | BRH 3 19 | DON 1 23 | DON 2 Ret | DON 3 22 | THR 1 27 | THR 2 Ret | THR 3 Ret | CRO 1 21 | CRO 2 26 | CRO 3 19 | OUL 1 Ret | OUL 2 23 | OUL 3 18 | SNE 1 23 | SNE 2 21 | SNE 3 Ret | THR 1 27 | THR 2 26 | THR 3 27 | KNO 1 20 | KNO 2 24 | KNO 3 21 | SIL 1 Ret | SIL 2 18 | SIL 3 13 | BRH 1 22 | BRH 2 Ret | BRH 3 20 | 27th | 5 |
References
- ^ a b c . Mark Blundell Official Website. 2012. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
- ^ "Le Mans 24 Hours 1990 – Photo Gallery". Racing Sports Cars. 17 June 1990. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ Wilkins, Robert (14 March 2001). "Blundell moves close to joining Prost". Crash. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "1997 ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix". Archived from the original on 22 December 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Brundle leaves management role". Crash.net. 7 January 2009.
- ^ "Brundle to step back from 2MB role". autosport.com. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
- ^ Tom Clarkson (1 April 2020). "F1: Beyond the Grid – Mark Blundell on F1 in the 90s, friendship with Martin Brundle, filling Mansell's seat and more" (Podcast). 14.22 minutes in. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
External links
- Official Website
- at itv.com
- at www.planet-f1.com