David Croft is not part of this weekend’s Sky Sports F1 team at the 2025 Austrian GP, as the veteran broadcaster continues to opt out of commentary at selected races amid Formula 1’s expanding calendar; but why isn’t he commentating and who replaces him?
As a result, Harry Benjamin steps in as lead commentator at the Red Bull Ring as Crofty’s absence is part of a planned arrangement, now into the second consecutive year.
Considered the defining voice of the sport, emerging in the wake of Murray Walker‘s retirement, Croft joined Sky Sports F1 ahead of the 2012 season following a period with the BBC and his long-standing commentary partnership with Martin Brundle has been a staple of race weekends for more than a decade.
However, with the F1 calendar growing to a record 24 races in 2024 and 2025, the seasoned caller has chosen to reduce his workload as he wants to dedicate more time to his family.
“I’m not getting any younger,” David Croft said in 2024 of why he isn’t commentating at some races, including the Austrian GP. “I’ve given up and sacrificed a lot for my career.
“I want to give a bit of time back to my family and not be on the other side of the world.”
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The 55-year-old confirmed earlier this year that he would miss the Grands Prix in Emilia Romagna, Austria, and Azerbaijan, the same three he sat out in 2024, opening the door to new blood to try their hand at live broadcast coverage.
Who Is Harry Benjamin? Meet David Croft’s replacement for the Austrian GP
Replacing Croft this weekend is Harry Benjamin, who has led BBC Radio 5 Live’s Formula 1 commentary since 2022 and has steadily built a reputation as a reliable and energetic play-by-play announcer, mirroring a similar career path to the Sky Sports lead.
Benjamin has also worked as a voiceover artist for Arsenal Football Club and hosted the main stage at the 2022 British GP at Silverstone, he has also featured in snippets of Netflix’s immensely successful Drive to Survive series too.
As a result, his impressive and growing portfolio made him a natural choice to deputise for Croft again in 2025– especially with Alex Jacques committed to F1TV and Channel 4.
Before entering motorsport media, Benjamin trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed in London’s West End, before he transitioned into media production in 2019, working his way through junior racing categories and hosting events at major motorsport weekends.
By 2021, the 28-year-old was the voice of Formula 2, Formula 3, and Porsche Super Cup coverage across Grand Prix weekends and finally earned his break with Sky Sports F1 in 2024 when he stepped in for Croft at the Emilia Romagna GP.
Croft thanks Hamilton for landing a spot in F1: The Movie
Croft’s absence is not just limited to live commentary either as he and Brundle have also made their way onto the big screen, thanks in part to Lewis Hamilton.
As co-producer of the new Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt, the seven-time world champion advocated for both men to appear in the movie because of their iconic roles.
“’If you want to make it authentic commentary, you need Martin and Crofty,’” Croft told The Times, paraphrasing Hamilton. “Martin and I, we’ve done five or six sessions, including filming in a commentary box.
“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.”
