Mark Blundell has won one of motorsport’s most famous races. At school, though, he spent much of his time outside the classroom door. In episode eight of Talking Dyslexia, released on 10 December 2025, he talks to my co-host Ellen Broomé, CEO of the British Dyslexia Association, and me about the years before anyone knew he was dyslexic.

Who is Mark Blundell?

Mark is a former racing driver. He drove in Formula One for Brabham, Ligier, Tyrrell and McLaren in the 1990s, and in 1992 he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot, sharing the car with Derek Warwick and Yannick Dalmas. He went on to race in the United States and later became a familiar voice on ITV’s Formula One coverage. Today he’s the founder and CEO of MBP, a sports marketing and motorsport management agency.

He was diagnosed with dyslexia in his late fifties.

Mark Blundell recording episode eight of Talking Dyslexia.

What the episode covers

According to the episode notes, Mark was told not to sit his exams and left to believe he “wouldn’t qualify as having an education”. In the conversation he talks about:

• hating school, and finding his self-worth in racing instead

• how dyslexia pushed him to think differently, in sport and in business

• being diagnosed in his late fifties, and why it felt like a weight off his shoulders

• the realities of contracts, live television and a short attention span, and backing yourself anyway

His message for listeners is simple: if you suspect you’re dyslexic, get it checked. As the episode puts it, it isn’t a big deal, and it might explain more than you think.

Asking why, sooner

Mark’s school years are a familiar story: a child who is struggling ends up in trouble, and is written off before anyone asks why. Being sent out of lessons, avoiding work or being seen as “not academic” can all hide a learning difficulty that nobody has spotted.

His advice is aimed at adults, but it holds for children too: if you suspect dyslexia, get it checked. If any of his story sounds like your child, share what you’re seeing at home with their school, and ask what they’re noticing in class.

Mark’s story also shows something hopeful. Strengths count. Helping a child find the thing they’re good at, alongside the right support at school, can change how they see themselves.

Listen and watch

• Listen on Spotify, where you can also watch the video version

• Watch a clip on YouTube (British Dyslexia Association channel)

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

Related reading: Penny Lancaster on her late dyslexia diagnosis, another guest who found out as an adult.