Nelson Valkenburg, who is he?

December 20, 2022

Who is Nelson Valkenburg?

In December 2021, it became clear that Nelson Valkenburg was going to provide commentary for the new Formula One season, along with Melroy Heemskerk as a partner. The name Valkenburg is not an unfamiliar name among motorsports commentators. Indeed, Nelson Valkenburg has been active for RTL and Eurosport, where he covered the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times, as well as the Dakar Rally, WEC and WTCR.

Parents

You may know Nelson’s parents from the Geva Racing racing team, which they own. Yet Nelson did not become a driver himself. According to him, he comes into his own better on the pit wall because he enjoys guiding people and teaching them things.

Melroy Heemskerk & Nelson Valkenburg

Olav Mol

Nelson Valkenburg’s predecessor is Olav Mol. Fortunately, Valkenburg has enough experience to succeed his predecessor well. Valkenburg began as a broadcaster/commentator at the Zandvoort Circuit and made his debut at Eurosport in 2007. At Eurosport he developed into a commentator of not only Formula One, but also as a commentator at the Olympics where he covered tennis, swimming and skating competitions.

Ballroom Dancing

The choice to appoint Nelson Valkenburg as Formula One commentator did not sit well with Olav Mol. He said, “Nelson has done a lot at Eurosport, from swimming to ballroom dancing. So in that respect they have a real specialist in house”. Nelson Valkenburg took this sneer sportily by showing understanding: “I have also sometimes thought: how would I have felt if I had held that position for 30 years? I do understand that something like that hurts, I don’t have to take that personally either.”

Melroy Heemskerk

Valkenburg is covering the races together with former driver Melroy Heemskerk. Melroy Heemskerk won Formula Ford as a driver in 2009, which made him Dutch and Benelux champion. The two have known each other for a long time and are childhood friends, according to Valkenburg. Chemistry between the two commentators of Formula One races is very important, but so it seems there is no lack of it. Nelson usually builds up and beats the start, then Melroy takes over on the first lap. The rest goes all by itself. “We are also opposites of each other and that’s why it works,” Valkenburg said of the dynamic between the two.