My Take
Martin Donnelly is one of those names that Formula One fans of a certain era say with a particular weight — not just because of his talent, but because of what almost took him away entirely. The guy came up through Formula Three and International Formula 3000 turning heads, won the 1987 Macau Grand Prix, and had genuinely quick hands. His 1990 Spanish Grand Prix crash at Jerez was one of the most violent accidents the sport had seen, and the footage is still shocking today — the car was essentially scattered across the track while he was left strapped to his seat. That he survived, let alone walked again, is remarkable. He never raced in Formula One after that, which is one of those quiet tragedies the sport carries. But the ability was absolutely real, and anyone who watched him in F3000 knew it.
Overview
Hugh Peter Martin Donnelly (; born 26 March 1964) is a British former racing driver from Northern Ireland who competed in Formula One at 15 Grands Prix from 1989 and 1990. Donnelly competed in Formula Three and International Formula 3000, where he won three races, including the 1987 Macau Grand Prix. In 1988, he placed third in International F3000 after only competing in the final five rounds.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Martin Donnelly
- Name (Japanese)
- マーティン・ドネリー
- Reading
- まーてぃん・どねりー
- Born
- March 26, 1964 (age 62)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dragon
- Origin
- Belfast, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- racing automobile driver / Formula One driver
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.