P1racenews AI automatic summary:
A key member of the Sky Sports F1 team will be missing their first race for the broadcaster.
Sky Sports F1 lead commentator David Croft will miss this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, marking the first race he won’t be covering since 2007. Croft is scheduled to sit out three races in the 2024 season, with Harry Benjamin stepping in as lead commentator for the Emilia Romagna, Austrian, and Azerbaijan Grands Prix. Despite not having missed a race since Sky acquired UK broadcast rights in 2012, Croft is choosing to take a break due to the demanding schedule. The last race Croft missed was the 2007 European Grand Prix for the birth of his son, with Murray Walker filling in. Sky’s other presenters and commentators have also been rotating in recent seasons, with Martin Brundle, Jenson Button, Karun Chandhok, and Anthony Davidson taking on various roles. Additionally, Sky is adopting more environmentally friendly practices by sending a smaller team to races in certain locations and hosting main shows from their studios near London.
