Formula 1 announcer David Croft has publicly apologized to Sky Sports viewers following the live TV broadcast of a driver using colorful language during the Italian Grand Prix qualifying session at Monza. The incident involved a visibly upset Isack Hadjar, who had recently achieved his first F1 podium at Zandvoort but faced a disappointing qualifying performance in Italy.
Hadjar expressed frustration towards Carlos Sainz, accusing the Williams driver of obstructing him during the session. The heated moment included Hadjar criticizing Sainz for impeding his progress on the track, leading to a confrontation in the media pen where explicit language was used.
Despite the apology from Croft for the language heard during the interview, it was revealed that Hadjar would face repercussions for his performance. Due to exceeding the allocated number of engine components allowed for the season, Hadjar will incur penalties and start the upcoming race from the pit lane.
In a separate turn of events, Hadjar’s Racing Bulls teammate, Liam Lawson, struggled in qualifying, finishing last on the timesheets. However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position, with Lando Norris alongside him on the front row. Notably, Lewis Hamilton received a five-place penalty, demoting him to the 10th starting position for the race.