Why Martin Brundle and David Croft missed Azerbaijan GP as F1 fans left upset

Sky Sports F1 viewers have again voiced their frustration over the absence of Martin Brundle and David Croft at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The regular commentary duo were notably absent from the race broadcast as defending world champion Max Verstappen secured a commanding victory on Baku's streets.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out on lap one, while McLaren team-mate and title rival Lando Norris could only manage seventh. Brundle and Croft have formed a popular combination since being brought together in 2012, when Sky first picked up the rights to broadcast F1.

They were replaced in Baku by Harry Benjamin, who is usually BBC 5 Live's lead commentator, and ex-F1 driver Karun Chandhok. It wasn't the first time they had deputised for Croft and Brundle in the commentary box, but some fans weren't impressed that Sky's regular duo weren't calling the action.

One viewer questioned Sky on X: "Why, year after year, do you not have your 'A team' at Baku? This is a key weekend in the championship and you should have Crofty, Brundle etc.

"Have them skip a different race next time!" Another declared: "It's just not the same when Crofty and Brundle are absent."

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One particularly disgruntled fan even threatened to boycott future coverage, posting: "No Crofty or Brundle again. The only reason I watch is for the presenter team. If you keep excluding them, I might rethink watching."

A fellow viewer echoed these sentiments, saying: "F1 without Crofty and Brundle on commentary does not do it for me. TV off."

There's nothing unusual about Croft and Brundle missing the occasional race, given the F1 calendar has expanded to 24 weekends, with Brundle covering a pre-agreed 16 rounds per season.

Even when he does attend, Brundle isn't obligated to perform one of his renowned grid walks every time. According to his contracts with broadcasters over the years, he conducts a grid walk at three out of every four races he attends.

On the other hand, Croft, who used to cover every GP, has recently chosen to miss three races per season to spend more quality time with his family. Last year, the 55-year-old said: "I'm not getting any younger.

"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."

Both Croft and Brundle, who was honoured with an MBE earlier this year, are expected to return to duty when the F1 season restarts in Singapore on the first weekend of October. Piastri will carry a reduced lead of 25 points over Norris to south-east Asia, with a revitalised Verstappen now only 69 points behind the championship leader with seven race weekends remaining.