David Croft has labelled the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as the most memorable race he’s commentated on during his long F1 career.
Croft has been the voice of F1 in the United Kingdom since 2012, since Sky gained exclusive rights from the BBC.
Nicknamed ‘Crofty’, he’s been ever-present on Sky’s F1 coverage for the last 11 years, never missing a race.
Mainly known for his “lights out and away we go” starting line, Croft is renowned for his fantastic delivery at the end of races.
Abu Dhabi 2021 was no different when Max Verstappen claimed his maiden F1 title at Lewis Hamilton’s expense.
Croft made it clear that the last-lap of Abu Dhabi 2021 was his favourite moment.
“I think, of all the races I have covered, and I could go on forever about the great races, but if anything ever comes close to the last lap of Abu Dhabi in 2021, I will be not only stunned but impressed that a sport can do that, to be honest,” Croft said in the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“I was in the office one day, about eight races out, going, ‘This is going down to the wire. They’re going to have the same amount of points when we get to Abu Dhabi.’ I could just see it. It was just one of those seasons, and so it transpired.
“Did we think it was going to come down to the last lap? No, and certainly, for most of the race, it didn’t look like it was going to boil up into anything. But that is the beauty of live sport. Things change around in an instant.
“To be there at the centre of it and to be the lead voice alongside the man [Martin Brundle] who has brought F1 into the homes of people for a lot longer than me and will carry on doing so for many, many years to come, and for Martin and I to be there in that moment and to have the privilege of describing that action, that’s what any kid kicking a football around pretending to be Martin Tyler aspires to.”
Keyword: ‘I will be stunned if anything comes close to Abu Dhabi 2021’