Born in 1966 and 1959 respectively, Mark Blundell and Martin Brundle stamped their similar-sounding names in the 24 Hours of Le Mans annals in 1990. Blundell, driving a Nissan R 90 CK, set the first pole-winning time for a Japanese constructor at Le Mans while Brundle teamed up with Denmark’s John Nielsen and American Price Cobb to record Jaguar’s seventh victory in the race. Two years later, Blundell joined his fellow-Briton on the Le Mans winners list at the wheel of the Peugeot 905, together with Derek Warwick and Yannick Dalmas. In 1999, it was Brundle’s turn to achieve pole position at the 24 Hours in a Japanese car, the Toyota GT-One. Finally, both drivers drove for the returning Bentley in the new century: Brundle being forced to retire in 2001, whereas Blundell finished as runner-up in 2003.

Although their Le Mans wins marked the pinnacle of their motor racing careers, Brundle and Blundell were also respected names in the world of Formula One in the early 1990s. In 1993, they were even team-mates for Ligier, recording three podium finishes and ending the World Championship in seventh and tenth places respectively. They subsequently became partners in a business venture when they founded the 2MB racing driver management company.

After forging a reputation as a Formula One commentator and race analyst, Brundle returned to Le Mans in 2012 to contest the 24 Hours alongside his debutant son, Alex. Teamed with Spaniard Lucas Ordonez, they came eighth in the LM P2 class at the wheel of a Zytek-Nissan entered by British team Greaves Motorsport.

Jean-Philippe Doret / ACO
Translated from French by David Goward

Photo: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, SATURDAY 16 & SUNDAY 17 JUNE 1990. Martin Brundle scored his one and only win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the wheel of a Jaguar XJR 12 prototype.