Martin Brundle has confirmed he will continue to be present for two-thirds of every Formula 1 season for the foreseeable future amid worries that he might be cutting back his Sky Sports commitments. Brundle is one of the broadcaster’s most beloved pundits, famed for his insight and also known for his popular pre-race ‘grid walk’ segment.
But there have been some suggestions in recent weeks and months that the 66-year-old may be looking to reduce the number of races he attends per year. Such talk was fuelled by the fact that, after forming part of Sky’s coverage on the ground at the Australian Grand Prix, the Brit was missing from the paddock at the Chinese and the Japanese Grands Prix that followed.
And, speaking on Sky’s The F1 Show, Brundle said: “I do 16 races a year, so I have to miss some, and they tend to be the early-hours-of-the-morning races. I always feel a bit sad when I’m not in Suzuka because I love that track as a driver and as a broadcaster, but I can’t do them all these days.”
But Brundle does intend to get back in front of a camera at the next race, the Miami Grand Prix in early May. And he has now confirmed that, even despite the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds which have left us without a single F1 Grand Prix in April, Brundle will still reach that figure of 16 before the season is out.
Responding to a fan on social media, who had voiced their concern after reading that Brundle was reportedly considering cutting down his travel, he branded such claims “utter clickbait nonsense”, telling the fan not to be “concerned” about the lengthy gap since his last live appearance from the paddock in Melbourne in early March.
He added: “I’ve done 16 races per year for a good while now and continue to do so. In fact with the cancellations I am at 15 of the remaining 19 races this season, subject to world events of course, as always.” Those who particularly enjoy Brundle’s insights will be delighted to learn that he only intends to be absent from four race weekends between now and December.
Sky’s punditry line-up for the 2026 season is mostly unchanged from last year. There are no new additions to the core team of presenters, analysts and reporters, though there is one absentee compared to 2025 with Danica Patrick no longer among Sky’s pool of pundits. A reason for her departure has not officially been given, though Express Sports understands she will focus on other projects outside of F1.
Natalie Pinkham made her return to the screen with presenting duties at Suzuka last month, six months on from surgery on her neck which left her to go through a long and painful rehabilitation process. And while she has yet to appear this year, analyst Naomi Schiff is set to return after maternity leave.