David Croft will not be in the Sky Sports F1 commentary booth on Sunday (Image: Getty)
For the second time this season, David Croft is missing a Grand Prix with Harry Benjamin stepping in for the long-serving commentator at the Red Bull Ring. He is joined by Martin Brundle after previously pairing up with Karun Chandhok for his Sky Sports F1 play-by-play debut in Imola.
Heading into the 2024 campaign, Croft hadn’t missed a single race since taking the reins of Sky Sports F1’s motorsport coverage back in 2012. However, with the paddock navigating a record-breaking 24-race schedule this year, the 54-year-old is one of many key media figures who have decided that some breaks are needed.
Speaking to The Independent about his decision, Croft said: “It’s more about keeping fresh for the whole season. I’m not getting any younger. I’ve given up and sacrificed a lot for my career. I want to give a bit of time back to my family and not be on the other side of the world. I’m getting married this year as well, so I’ve got a wedding to organise!
“But I also want to sit and watch a race at home. I want to enjoy it. Maybe I can learn something by not commentating on a race. I can spot a few things when I’m watching – I want to see what the viewer sees.”
This decision follows that of his co-commentator, Brundle. The pair have formed a legendary partnership in the booth, but the former Benetton F1 driver recently opted to miss out on a small chunk of races to keep the workload manageable amidst growing travel requirements.
Martin Brundle is partnering Harry Benjamin in the Austrian GP booth (Image: Getty)
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His replacement, Benjamin, is preparing for his second Grand Prix weekend with the Sky Sports F1 team. The Brit has previously worked as a commentator for Formula Two, Formula Three and with the BBC 5 Live F1 group as their lead play-by-play commentator.
He made his debut in the booth at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, taking to the X social media platform afterwards to post: “Well I’m still alive! Bumped my head several times in that comms box and to be honest I’ve been a bit nervy all weekend.
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“But I can’t thank @SkySportsF1 enough firstly for the opportunity and for how welcoming everyone on the team has been. See you again in Austria!
On Sunday, Benjamin will become the fifth lead commentator to work alongside Brundle in the booth. As pointed out by Dave Nelson, only Croft, Murray Walker, James Allen and Jonathan Legard have experienced that honour before.
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