Murray: F1 isn't boring!

Although his 'pants-on-fire' style of commentary may have been in some way connected to the excitement generated by Formula One in the past, veteran commentator Murray Walker is quick to defend the current era of the sport against claims that it is boring.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Walker protested strongly when confronted by a line of questioning that sought to disparage his beloved F1, claiming that a better racing education for the casual fans would lead to them getting more out of a grand prix.

"I get impatient with people because I have been watching Formula One for so long," he said, "There is always a situation where one team has the upper hand - Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Cooper, Lotus all had it in the past - but the current situation will not last forever. Yes, Ferrari is on top - it has the best team, the best car and the best driver - but it will start losing people, and the likes of McLaren and Williams will be redoubling their efforts and will win again.

"I admit that it is a bit repetitive - but it is far from boring. There is always something going on - you just have to know where to look. I think you can best appreciate a sport by finding out more about it. If people took the time to learn about the drivers, the teams, the politics and the history, it will become a lot more interesting. Why do you always need a big spectacle to make it interesting?"

Asked why American racing seemed so much more attractive and exciting than F1, Walker pointed out that he felt the various series were more akin to showbusiness, with "the yellow flag thrown just to bunch the field up" - something he had little time for personally. On the subject of reversing grids to put the faster men at the back of the field for the start, he admitted that it was "a nice little idea - until you realise that Michael Schumacher would deliberately go around two seconds slower than everyone else, start at the front and disappear as he is doing now".

The solution, according to the veteran, was a simple one, however.

"Bernie Ecclestone has a lot between his ears and is an entrepreneur and a businessman - he will want the ratings to go up again," he asserted, "He may have some ideas - although I don't know what - but, to my mind, the rest of the field just has to get its act together."