Martin Brundle was born on 1 June 1959 in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England. His father was a rally driver who owned local garages, immersing Brundle in the world of automobiles and machinery from a young age. He was raised by his parents, Alma and John Brundle, alongside his two siblings, Robin and Helen.

Born and raised in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Brundle began competing in grass track racing aged 12 in a self-built Ford Anglia, before moving into Hot Rod racing. After several seasons in the British Saloon Car Championship, Brundle progressed to British Formula Three in 1982. He finished runner-up to Ayrton Senna the following season amidst a close title battle. Both progressed to Formula One in 1984, with Brundle joining Tyrrell and making his debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

In endurance racing, Brundle won the World Sportscar Championship in 1988 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990, both with Jaguar; he also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1988 with Jaguar. He retired from Formula One at the end of his 1996 season with Jordan, having achieved nine podiums across 12 seasons.

Upon retiring from motor racing, Brundle moved into commentary, working as an analyst on Formula One coverage for ITV Sport (1997–2008), BBC Sport (2009–2011) and Sky Sports F1 (2012–present). His Grid Walk — a live, unscripted walkthrough of the grid before every race — has become a staple of any race weekend, having begun in 1997 at the British Grand Prix.

Brundle has always lived within a 10-mile radius of King’s Lynn, and as of 2025, he lives in the village of Gayton, east of King’s Lynn, with his wife Liz. They have a daughter, Charlotte, and a son, Alex, who has followed his father into motorsport.