Lewis Hamilton’s touching gesture speaks volumes as David Croft speaks out on F1 icon
In a recent revelation, Sky Sports’ David Croft has credited Lewis Hamilton for playing a pivotal role in securing commentary spots for both him and Martin Brundle in the upcoming F1 film. The movie, set for release on June 25, boasts an impressive £240million budget and features Brad Pitt in a leading role. Hamilton, who is also serving as a co-producer and consultant on the project, was instrumental in bringing the familiar voices of Croft and Brundle to the film.
According to Croft, Hamilton’s influence was crucial in securing their involvement in the project. “He said, ‘If you want to make it authentic commentary, you need Martin and Crofty’,” Croft revealed in an interview with The Times. “I really appreciated that.” Croft and Brundle have been synonymous with F1 commentary for decades, with Croft providing the voice of Formula One commentary since 2006 and Brundle serving as a seasoned analyst since 1997.
The duo has already completed several filming sessions for the movie, including a commentary box session. Croft praised the film’s directors for allowing them to veer off script and provide authentic commentary. “Hopefully, it sounds as authentic as a normal commentary because they did allow Martin and I to veer off script and call it how we’d call it, which is great,” Croft said.
Croft also spoke highly of his colleague, Martin Brundle, highlighting their complementary skills. “He’s the expert, he’s the analyst, he’s the man that’s gone and driven cars and raced in these cars, and I’m the broadcaster, the journalist, who’s not afraid to go, right, ‘What do you mean by that?'” Croft said.
However, not all of Croft’s interactions with Lewis Hamilton’s fans have been positive. A contingent of Hamilton’s supporters still harbor resentment towards Croft’s commentary during the contentious 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Hamilton lost the championship to Max Verstappen. Croft’s remark about “live sport” sometimes working “against you” sparked outrage among Hamilton’s fans, who felt that the decision was unfair.
Croft acknowledged that he still receives correspondence from disgruntled Hamilton fans “on an almost daily basis.” While he understands their frustration, Croft maintains that the rules were not followed, and the outcome of the race cannot be changed. “What can I say? Probably nothing, because whatever I do say, it’s going to be wrong. So I try and ignore it, to be fair,” Croft said.
Despite this, there appears to be a mutual respect between Hamilton and Croft. Prior to the start of the season, Croft had cautioned Hamilton about the risks of transitioning to Ferrari, speculating that teammate Charles Leclerc might win every battle against the seven-time world champion. However, Hamilton has already notched an impressive win in the Chinese Sprint race, and both he and Leclerc will be seeking their maiden Grand Prix win this season when Formula One returns for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
