Between 1948 and 2001 Murray Walker was the undisputed voice of Formula 1. Enthusiastic, well informed and with one of the most distinctive voices in television, Walker had (and still has, when he occasionally shows up on BBC radio) a remarkable ability to get right to the heart of the action, even though, sometimes, excitement got the better of him and the words came out in the wrong order. Even when he got it wrong and uttered one of his famous “murrayisms”, however, Walker never failed to be understood. His infectious love of the sport touches everyone who hears him commentate. Here are some of the best commentary quotes from this F1 legend. 

“With half the race gone, there is half the race still to go.”

“I should imagine that the conditions in the cockpit are totally unimaginable.”

“There are seven winners of the Monaco Grand Prix on the starting line today, and four of them are Michael Schumacher.”

“Anything happens in Grand Prix racing, and it usually does.”

“And he's done that in a whisker under 10 seconds, call it 9.7 in round figures.”

“Tambay's hopes, which were nil before, are absolutely zero now.”

“I can't imagine what kind of problem Senna has. I imagine it must be some sort of grip problem.”

“Now he must not go the wrong way round the circuit, and unless he can spin himself stationary through 360 degrees I fail to see how he can avoid doing so.”

“Mansell is slowing it down, taking it easy. Oh no he isn't! It's a lap record.”

“I don't want to tempt fate but Damon Hill is now only half a lap from his first Grand Prix win and..and HE'S SLOWING DOWN! DAMON HILL IS SLOWING DOWN! HE'S..HE'S STOPPED!”

The heady mixture of speed, technology, skill and danger which are central to the thrill of Formula 1 have inspired the drivers to utter some great quotes over the years. Here are some of the most enlightening, funniest, strangest and most poetic.

“There are a lot of factors in the life of an F1 driver which can combine to make you believe that you are somehow above normality. I think that is a mistake to start believing that. But, at the same time, it is important to be confident.” Damon Hill

“I remember my first test in F1. After five laps, I came back to the pits and tried to play it cool - 'Oh yeah, I'm fine, I'm on top of this' - but I was completely lost.” Sebastian Vettel Damon Hill

“In Italy there's a saying; 'He who goes slowly, goes well and goes far'. Well, that's what we are doing ... step by step we are getting closer .” Fernando Alonso

“And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.” Ayrton Senna

“Racing a thoroughbred grand prix car in front of a home crowd will be a surreal and mighty experience.” Nigel Mansell

“There's always a lot of talk about motivation to race, but nobody really knows what I do or what I think apart from myself, so I don't really care what people think.” Kimi Raikkonen

“I always work the same way, starting from the beginning of the weekend, so I know at the beginning of the race, from all that I have analysed during the practice, whether I will win the race or not.” Alain Prost

Formula 1 Grand Prix's are some of the most watched events worldwide. The speed and the technology of the cars coupled with the skill and sheer determination of the drivers make for some of the most exciting races known to man. With this speed, the millions and millions of pounds and dollars on the line and the will of the competition, drivers push themselves to the limit and there is always the risk of the dreaded accident.

This past Spanish Grand Prix it wasn't anything on the track that caused events to stop, a fire at the Williams teams pit lane was worldwide news. Fires used to be a rather common occurrence many years ago, but with the rise of health and safety and knowledge of the tools and machinery used, fires have become less prevalent. At this point it is believed that the fire was caused by a fuel explosion and thanks to the training of the Williams team, and the aid provided by almost every other pit crew in the vicinity, casualties were limited to a few. Those caught in the blaze are still being treated in hospital and although the damage to the Williams team claimed the majority of their equipment things could have been much worse.

BBC's Top Gear has welcomed many a celebrity on their show to participate in their ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment which consists of celebrities racing around a track in a less than stellar vehicle. Top Gear has also invited Formula 1 drivers to participate in this and because of their skill; they are placed on their own leader board. Here, we will take a look at the Top 5 on the leader board and a little of their Formula 1 history.

5. Lewis Hamilton

One of the youngest Formula 1 drivers, Brit Lewis Hamilton may be the most famous name on this list, and he clocked the fifth fastest time on Top Gear at 1:44:7. Hamilton races for the McLaren-Mercedes team and has won 17 races, winning the Championship in 2008, a year after his first Formula 1 race.

4. Nigel Mansell

Legendary Formula 1 driver Nigel Mansell, also a one-time champion (1992) is also one of the drivers who apart from his F1 driving raced competitively in IndyCar and the British Touring Championship, showing that his skill went beyond just that of an F1 driver.

3. Ben Collins

Ben Collins (who also served as Top Gear's ‘Stig') clocked in the 3rd fastest time at 1:44:4. Collins is on the list, but never raced Formula 1. Collins raced Formula 3, GT and Indy and at Le Mans. Controversy followed Collins after he attempted to release an autobiography exposing himself as ‘The Stig' but his place on the board was not jeopardised.

2. Rubens Barrichello

Although he never won a Formula 1 championship, Rubens Barrichello is one of the well-respected names in F1. Clocking in a time of 1:44:3, Barrichello showed that although he no longer raced F1, his driving skills were still with him.

1. Sebastian Vettel

Picture the scene . . . you're just sitting down to watch the game with your mates. It doesn't matter what kind of game. Maybe you're into rugby, or is football more your style? But you've got a funny feeling that you already know how it's going to turn out. How often has your gut been right? But you can't bet with your mates – they hardly ever pay out if they're wrong. So how could you make money with that gut instinct?

Not for nothing though, is William Hill known as the ‘Home of Betting.' As that game is starting, you should already be typing this address into your Smartphone or laptop, no matter where you are. William Hill will take you straight to all the live events that they offer odds on, and you can make a bet quickly from there. You can look at the odds of each event across all 106 markets before registering and filling out your betting slip. Reckon that one football team has the edge over the other? Or perhaps your gut instinct is singing that Andy Murray has never looked so strong and his opponent is quaking in his shoes? Boxing, cycling, darts – whatever your sport is, William Hill offers bets on far too many to name here.

But it's not just the ability to bet that you'll gain from signing up at William Hill. You'll also be given access to an extensive community of bettors like yourself, found by looking for the ‘Tip Adviser' logo. It's a valuable asset to anyone interested in betting on a sporting event. You can also look up the most popular bets – helpful if you can't decide what to go for.

Formula One is one of the most popular sports worldwide. With race tracks all over the world and fans of all ages, it truly is a sport that almost anybody can enjoy. As simple as it may look at times, multiple cars racing around a track vying for first place, there is so much more under the surface and here are some of the more interesting facts about Formula One racing, the cars, the teams and the drivers.

1. A Formula One driver pushes their car to the limit, and because of this, the engine inside a Formula One car can only last for around 2 hours. Any more time, and it could possibly explode! Formula One teams keep an eye on every aspect of their cars using finely tuned computer metrics and statistics. Even the slightest problems can be instantly detected and fixed on the fly.

2. Formula One pit crews are some of the highest trained specialists in all of sports. A pit crew at their peak performance can refuel the car and change all four tires in less than 5 seconds. Every second counts in a race and a speedy pit-stop can be the difference between losing a race and winning it.

The 2012 Formula One season has been an eventful one so far. From exciting races to dramatic headline stories such as the fire at the Spanish Grand Prix, Formula One continues to be one of the most exciting sports. At this point, the Top 3 drivers bring no surprises, with the biggest names ranking amongst the highest.

Racing for McLaren, British driver Lewis Hamilton is at this point ranked third in the standings and has made the podium three times out of the first five races of the season. Always regarded as a contender, Lewis Hamilton continues to be one of the most popular racers in the sport and many consider Hamilton to be the face of Formula One racing. He is competing for his second championship since his first win in 2008.

Finishing on the podium twice in the first five races, Fernando Alonso is currently in second place in the standings. Alonso finished first in the second race of the season in the Malaysian Grand Prix. A two-time and back to back champion (2005 and 2006), Fernando Alonso was the youngest World Champion at the time, aged just 24. The man who would go on to break his record as youngest ever champion is also the man who currently leads the standings in the 2012 season.

Ayrton Senna is a legend in the world of Formula 1 where a name is difficult to earn. Many racers come and go and fail to make a ripple in the F1 landscape. Almost 18 years since his passing, Ayrton Senna's name still evokes memories from F1 enthusiasts past and present. His tragic passing in 1994 only served to enhance his legend and in 2010, a critically acclaimed documentary about the man and his life was released.

Directed by British filmmaker Asif Kapadia, Senna took a deeper look into the life of the man who many believed changed the sport of Formula 1 with his daredevil like antics and his humble persona. Rather than produce a film that depicted his life through the use of actors, the film employed the use of home movies, interviews, race footage and sit-downs with the people who knew him best. Senna has been voted the best F1 driver ever in many publications and many drivers cite Senna as the driver they look up to and view as an inspiration.

Beginning with his entry into the world of Formula 1 and mainly focusing on his time racing for the McLaren team, which propelled him to international fame. During his time with McLaren, Senna was involved in a rivalry with fellow McLaren driver Alain Prost along with winning 3 Formula One Championships.

A risk-taker, a Brazilian patriot, thrill-seeker and die-hard competitor, Senna's life is brought back to life in this vivid, heartfelt and moving documentary, ensuring that his legend will never die with the man and live on for generations to admire.