Melbourne 1997:
with Murray Walker.
F1 Racing April 1997.

So how did you like the show? Melbourne 1997 was a whole new experience for me after 19 years of Formula 1 with the
Beeb, and I have to say it was a massive challenge. Without wishing to sound smug, it seemed to go superbly well to me. The ITV team are professional to a man (and Louise) and their depth of coverage and quality of production were, I think, superb.

We're a bit like Arrows and Stewart - all new to each other and on a vertical learning curve - but we certainly had a cracking weekend to cut our teeth on. Everything from the tram drivers going on strike to make things miserable for everyone, to Damon's throttle going on strike to make things miserable for him. He certainly didn't deserve that. Still, I guess none of you will have missed the action thereafter. When Eddie Irvine did his kamikaze act (wrong track, Eddie, try Suzuka), and HH disappeared into the distance, I thought: this is going to be a bummer - what else do I know about Heinz-Harald?

But I needn't have worried, and hats off to David Coulthard for a great drive and to McLaren-Mercedes for at last getting it all together. Fifty races without a win was going to be a pretty miserable statistic, and the great Ayrton Senna would have been happy that they've avoided it. On to his home now, to Sao Paulo for round two. Let's hope it's as good
as Melbourne - we'll be bringing you all the action, live, as it happens.

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