David Croft has confirmed that his familiar voice will continue in Formula 1 for many years to come, insisting that he and the championship are “only just getting going”.
Known by his friends and fans as “Crofty”, the Sky Sports F1 commentator has reflected on his journey in the championship after he struggled during his first year. Talking with the Mirror, he explained that the way he joined F1 was far from straightforward, and initially came as a surprise.
“A friend of mine, who happened to be the producer of 5 Live Formula 1, suggested that I might make a good F1 commentator. I thought he was drunk, to be fair,” Croft said.
“He repeated it the next day and said that I should audition. I did, and passed the audition. I had to make up a lap off the top of my head. I think it was a first lap at Monza, I had to imagine that I was commentating on this lap.”
This experience reminded him of his childhood when he would commentate on his Scalextric set.
“It took me back to when I was younger, when I used to pretend to be a sports commentator quite a lot because this is the job I always wanted to do. I’d be there with my Scalextric set pretending I was Murray Walker. ‘Sensational, off he goes’, and all that.”
Despite landing the role, he was quickly confronted with self-doubt.
“Honestly, about three races in, I thought, ‘I don’t really know enough here, even though I’ve done as much research as I can, I need to know a lot more’.
“There were struggles in that first year. Did I belong here? Was this a good fit? Am I enjoying it? Most of the time I was, but there were a few struggles.”
But he grew in confidence as his experience increased and his contract was renewed.
“Then I got a contract for a second year and life became a lot nicer then. By the third, fourth year in Formula 1, you really feel like you started to belong a bit by that stage.”
In 2012, Sky Sports took over coverage of F1, something that Croft has been part of since the transition.
David Croft, Sky TV
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
“When Sky came and got the rights and said, ‘We’d like you to be our commentator’, that was a complete no-brainer for me, because Sky do sport brilliantly. It’s been brilliant to be a part of it, it really has.”
Since he joined, F1 has become a behemoth with the recent movie and Netflix’s Drive to Survive only amplifying this popularity.
“I took my stepdaughter to see Tate McRae this year and she wore a Lando Norris top, because she’s a big Lando Norris fan – they share the same birthday – and Tate McRae and Lando have that association as well.
“After about an hour of being there, Ava turned to me and said, ‘Do you get recognised like this everywhere you go?’ I said, ‘No, but there’s obviously a lot of Lando fans here’.
“We were stopping a lot to say hi and to do selfies and that. It’s lovely that F1 fans obviously know me and they know my voice, and I’ve given people enjoyment over the years, which is all I ever want to do.”
The relationship between viewer and commentator isn’t something he takes lightly.
“It’s a privilege for people to invite Martin and myself into their lives and their living rooms.
“We try to reward that with something entertaining and enjoyable on a Sunday afternoon.
“If I’m a household name for people, that’s absolutely incredible. But it’s my job and it’s my passion and I love it. I love talking. I’ll be a part of it for many more years to come – we’re only just getting going.”
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