Formula 1 announcer David Croft has publicly expressed regret to Sky Sports viewers following the unintentional airing of explicit language by a driver during a live TV broadcast. The incident occurred during the qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix when an interview with a frustrated Isack Hadjar was featured.
Hadjar, who recently clinched his first F1 podium at Zandvoort, faced disappointment in Monza as he failed to secure a strong qualifying position after landing in the bottom five at the end of the initial qualifying stage, leading to his early elimination. In his post-qualifying interview, Hadjar vented his frustration towards Carlos Sainz, accusing the Williams driver of obstructing his progress on the track.
Expressing his discontent, Hadjar stated, “We were performing well, the car was in top shape. However, Carlos hindered my out-lap, causing unnecessary delays and aggravation.” His outburst, including an expletive, was captured by the Sky production team.
Following the interview, Croft promptly apologized to the audience for the inappropriate language aired and informed viewers that Hadjar would start the upcoming race from the back due to an impending penalty. The penalty stems from Hadjar exceeding the allowed number of engine components for the season, necessitating a pit lane start for the 20-year-old driver.
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The qualifying session proved challenging for Racing Bulls, with Hadjar’s teammate Liam Lawson finishing at the bottom of the timesheets. However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position, with Lando Norris alongside him on the front row. Notably, Charles Leclerc will lead Ferrari’s charge from the second row, while Lewis Hamilton faces a grid penalty, starting from 10th position.