When Jim Rosenthal climbed on to the stage at the London Hilton Hotel last week to receive his award from Jimmy Tarbuck for Television Sports Presenter of the Year, it was the perfect response to all those who thought he would be out of his depth in Formula 1.

And there were a great many.

The former Oxford Mail sports reporter, who grew up in Boars Hill and recently tried, as part of a so-called Gang of Four, to seize control of Oxford United from hotelier Firoz Kassam, is no stranger to TV accolades. He has long been regarded as one of television sport's best front men, won this award two years ago and last year was runner-up to Desmond Lynam.

But this was the first time he had won it since the Royal Television Society had granted sport its own awards ceremony, and the fact that the glittering Oscars-like evening attracted twice as many people as the news and current affairs version did not go unnoticed.

"I got a very good reception when I went up to get it, which meant a lot to me," Rosenthal said. They do well to keep it such a closely-guarded secret. I thought SKY's Richard Keys would get it."

The common conception, when ITV snatched the glamorous world of grand prix motor racing away from BBC was that, this time, Rosenthal had bitten off more than he could chew. He was going to be dealing with a highly technical world he knew little about and would be found out.

"I knew a lot of people thought ITV, and I personally, were going to crash in flames," he said.

His fragile confidence for taking on Formula 1 was hardly helped by an ITV executive coming up to him, on the morning of the first show two years ago, pointing out a scathing article in The Guardian which stated that Rosenthal was the wrong choice and would prove a major embarrassment.

"I don't think I want to read this," he replied.

By then, his nerves had already frayed. Acting as an anchorman for football, which he had covered most of his working life, or athletics, was one thing. But Magny Cours, Kyalami and Imola was strictly for the Simon Taylors and Murray Walkers.

"It was a massive step into the unknown for me," Rosenthal admitted.

"I remember before the first grand prix in Melbourne I had a totally sleepless night."

Yet he came through unscathed, and by being able to explain complicated, high-speed manoeuvres and tactics in a simple manner, Rosenthal helped ITV to capture a new hundreds-of-thousands-strong audience.

Remarkably, the viewing figures for the European Grand Prix nine days ago were just a few short of the FA Cup final. In addition to Rosenthal, Martin Brundle was named as Sports Pundit of the Year and ITV collected the Television Image of the Year for their coverage of Michael Schumacher's Silverstone crash.

Rosenthal's award also recognised his work as anchorman for the Rugby World Cup and for the live Tuesday night European football with On-Digital, but no one had doubt that F1 had won it for him.

"Formula 1 is one of the great sporting success stories ITV has been involved with," he conceded.

"It's no secret that I thought Steve Ryder was going to do it. I remember coming back off holiday that January and being offered it. For me it was a mega-change but a really interesting career tweak.

"I won't lie . . . my knowledge of motor racing wasn't great. But I've never pretended I know everything about it.

"A lot of people have learned the sport with us."

The former Josca's Prep School pupil has now fronted more than 50 grands prix and the public reaction has been phenomenal. "I know from talking to so many people that it has changed people's Sunday lunchtime habits. People plan their Sundays around our grand prix coverage."

Rosenthal has strong local ties. When younger he played hockey in goal for Oxfordshire, his parents still live in Boars Hill and he has two sisters in Oxford.

He spent four years on the Oxford Mail, then worked for "Mr Snooker" Clive Everton on a midlands sports agency and lasted four years with Radio Birmingham before joining Radio Two which evolved into Radio Five.

Having now been with ITV for 20 years he is one of our more enduring visual journalists.

"When I went to ITV I had the journalistic background from working on the Oxford Mail and the verbal side because of my radio work so with my training I had the base for everything.

"One of the reasons I've hung around so long is that journalistically no-one can say 'he's hopeless'." It was while he was on Radio Birmingham that Jim met Chrissy, a produced with BBC's Breakfast Time, who was to become his wife, and they got married in Wootton.

They have a 12-year-old son, Tom, and now live just outside Oxfordshire at Cookham Dean, near Marlow.

The success of the grand prix programmes means that Jim, who helped host ITV's coverage of the last European Championships, will not be involved with Euro 2000 which, as a football fan, he naturally regrets.

"I've been lucky. I've had some fantastic European games, involving Barcelona, Valencia and Chelsea, on Tuesday nights. It wouldn't have been possible for me to do Euro 2000 because the Canadian Grand Prix falls right in the middle of it."

Having developed such a wide following, ITV just wouldn't allow it.

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