One of the stars of the British scene in the 1980s, this Ulsterman was quick both in Formula Ford 2000 and then in Formula Three. Halfway through 1988, he jumped up to Formula 3000, scoring two wins and two second places from four outings for Eddie Jordan Racing to place third overall. Staying on in Formula 3000 in 1989 was not proving so successful, but Martin took the opportunity to make his Formula One debut in France for Arrows. A full-time ride with Lotus was his reward for 1990 and Martin was doing increasingly well, matching the pace of experienced team-mate Derek Warwick, when he had a huge shunt in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix. His car disintegrated and Martin was left in the the track strapped only to his seat. His injuries were horrific, but he fought back to health, even having a test in a Formula 3000 car, but he has since focused on managing teams on the British single-seater scene.

Reproduced from The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Formula One published by Carlton Books