For the first time in over a decade, David Croft will not be present to fulfill commentary duties in an F1 Grand Prix. The Sky Sports F1 lead commentator will miss three races in 2024, with the first one being the upcoming outing in Imola. Having joined Sky Sports in 2012, Croft has never taken time off during a season before, until now.
In Croft’s absence, BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Harry Benjamin will fulfill the duties. Benjamin has previously held important roles in F2, F3, and F1TV. He was also the lead of the first-ever Sky F1 kids program.
What does Harry Benjamin do?
Most famous for his work in Radio, Benjamin is also known for his involvement in the popular Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive.’ Having proved his reliability, he also got the chance to host several live events. This includes events for Ferrari, Porsche, FIA, CarFest, Silverstone, and the WTF1. However, cars aren’t his only passion.
The British commentator has also worked in Golf, MotoGP, and Table Tennis. Benjamin also runs his own production company and network called, ‘Motormouth Media.’
Sky F1’s David Croft to miss 3 rounds this year. Harry Benjamin gets the call up to replace him at Imola, Austria & Azerbaijan.
Big opportunity for HB here!
I’m all for it to be fair. I think the F1 lineup is a little stale & could do with a change. https://t.co/SLDK8es9NW pic.twitter.com/AgzBo8AVMM
— The Racing Armchair (@RacingArmchair) February 22, 2024
The London-born personality is also a trained actor, having completed his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. It led to him selling out comedy shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in theatres around the United Kingdom.
Which races will Harry Benjamin replace David Croft in?
Including Imola, David Croft will be missing from a total of three races this season. June’s race in Austria and the September running of F1 in Azerbaijan will also notice Croft’s absence. Benjamin is expected to fulfill commentary duties in all three of these races.
Talking on the YouTube podcast ‘The Racing Pilot,’ Benjamin revealed the details of his preparation for these races. He revealed that he has a big folder which is meant to be used as a reference. But during the races, he won’t get the time to go through all of it.
Hence, he marked the important bits – regulation changes, track history, etc. – in red color for convenience.
Furthermore, he has researched heavily about the relevant history of the FIA and the race venues that he will cover. Benjamin stays on top of the technical aspects of the sport, taking note of which team is doing what in terms of upgrades and part usage.
However, Replacing Croft, who is a legendary figure, has worried Benjamin a little. The Briton is starting to feel the pressure, because of the magnitude of the occasion.
Nonetheless, he remains confident of doing a good job, especially since has modeled himself after Simon Lazenby and Croft. Per GP Blog, he used to emulate their way of speaking in his bedroom as a child.
Where will David Croft be during the Imola Grand Prix?
Croft has not taken a single break from his F1 commentary duties since 2012. Because of the tiring schedule this season, he wants to keep himself fresh so as to not get burnt out.
Speaking to Motorsport, the 53-year-old admitted that he’s “not getting any younger“. He has sacrificed a lot for his career, and now it is time for him to be there for his family.
Ever wondered what a F1 commentary box looks like?!
David Croft gives you the full tour and reveals some of his tricks of the trade pic.twitter.com/LvYycGBK5x
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 24, 2023
Croft is also getting married in 2024, and insisted that he has “a wedding to organize”, adding to his off-track responsibilities. Croft is also looking forward to learning new things away from F1, and enjoying races as a viewer instead of being a commentator.
