Murray Walker Q&A

"Well, the first thing is I wouldn't be doing anything at this time of the year anyway because there isn't any racing, so I'm not even going to be aware of the fact I've retired until the Australian Grand Prix at the earliest when I'm sitting at home watching it. But I'm doing my autobiography (Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken), I'm doing a big video this summer, I'm doing a lot of work for one of the major sponsors in Formula 1, I'm going to be doing some work for ITV as well, so I haven't retired, I've just changed my job specification."



"No. There was a possibility of it but there's no point in me saying I'm retiring from commentary because I want to stop while I think I'm at the top, only to go on somewhere else. If I was going on anywhere I'd go on with ITV because I was very, very happy there and I don't want to push my luck by being somewhere else and going downhill."



"Well it depends how you define success. Bernie Ecclestone's coverage is absolutely fantastic, it's brilliant, and I used to look at it with envy and dismay because it is so good, but you've got to pay money. I don't know how much money that is, whether it's £10 a race or £20 a race but they've got to persuade people who are quite happy with it on terrestrial television to look at a very good product and be prepared to pay quite a lot of money to do it. There are a lot of people who want to do that. My understanding is they have got big [viewing] figures in Germany, or Italy or France where they have done it, but we'll just have to wait and see. It could be different in this country."



"Well put it this way, it would be good for the sport if different people won the world championship every year but if one chap is so good that he keeps on winning, it's up to the others to catch him and beat him. I have nothing but admiration and respect for Michael Schumacher and I'm never slow in saying so, much to a lot of people's irritation. Do I think it would be bad for F1? Well if it keeps on happening there's a danger that a boredom factor will come in but I don't think it will keep on happening, it never has happened. I mean Fangio won five times in seven years and that was very, very unusual, it's never happened before or since. We'll just have to wait and see but I think F1 is so exciting that it will keep going onwards and upwards for a long time yet."



"Carol Vorderman, and I've seen her already. I'm looking forward to the whole thing, I mean I came here last year not knowing what to expect and a lot of the music they play is not necessarily my bag but I really, really enjoyed it. It's a great, fun evening and I'm sure this year will be better. I'd like to think that like F1 it will get bigger and better every year, that all the corporate and hospitality boxes will be sold and that everyone will have what they're supposed to, a great party."