Oliver WhiteFormer Honda test driver and Super Aguri racer Anthony Davidson has agreed to join BBC Radio 5 Live’s commentary team for the entirety of the 2009 Formula One season. Davidson was hoping to return to racing this year after the Super Aguri team were disbanded in early 2008. A return to testing – possibly even racing – was apparently on the cards with Honda, but that all fell through when the manufacturer bosses decided to pull that plug as well.
Anthony Davidson is no stranger to the commentary having made guest appearances at the British and European rounds of the championship last year. In 2006, while on testing duties for Honda, Davidson joined James Allen in the commentary box for the Hungarian Grand Prix while regular commentator Martin Brundle was absent. Of course, the 2006 race at the Hungaroring went down in history as Jenson Button’s maiden victory. It was also Honda’s first race victory since returning to the sport, making the event even sweeter for Anthony.
Commentating gives me the chance to explain what it feels like to drive an F1 car to the limit, and to share the inside view on all of the demands that a driver faces over the weekend. Anthony Davidson.
It will be a great shame not to see Anthony driving, and as Formula One hypes the many younger talent coming through the ranks, it seems as though Davidson’s chance to race at the top of the motor-sporting ladder is getting slimmer and slimmer. It will be a pleasure to hear Davidson’s insights into the grand prix, and alongside David Croft, BBC Radio 5 Live have a strong team. It will though, be bitter sweet, as Davidson really should be the one the commentators are talking about, not with.
Image © HondaF1.
I seriously hope this isn’t a case of Davidson’s racing career cut short before it really got going. Surprised he’s not participating in something like LMS or similar?
But… pretty happy that he’s got the gig with Radio 5. His tirade of abuse towards Massa at Silverstone last year (“there you go, have some of that blue-flag action Felipe!”) was rather comical 😀
brilliant news. just how strong is the bbc lineup now?
I thought Anthony did a good job commentating at Hungary but I’d rather see him on the track.
He has said he was close to securing some kind of deal with Honda before they pulled the plug. I wonder, with the latest rumours, if he could still get a reserve drive this year.
Disappointing, but not surprising. I had a sneaky suspicion that the next time I saw Ant-D it would be off, not on, the track.
I’ve got nothing against being a commentator but for me personally it’s a waste of talent to see Anthony behind a microphone and not behind a steering wheel of an F1 car.
Anthony had never been given a proper chance to establish himself as an F1 driver. Yes he did deputize for I think Alex Yoong way back I think in 2002 driving for the Minardi AsiaTech but he was thrown into the lion’s den without any proper mileage.
I thought he did sterling job driving for the now defunct Super Aguri F1 Team and he did give Takuma-san a race for his money.
I guess Anthony’s F1 future in his own hands but I do hope he gets a drive in F1 and if he doesn’t, he could go stateside to try his luck in IRL but I doubt going around in ‘circles’ doesn’t appeal to him eh ? 😉