Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft speaks to Mirror Sport about his time spent with the teenager dubbed ‘the UK’s biggest Formula 1 fan’ ahead of the Abu Dhabi season finale
When commentating live on Formula 1 action, Sky Sports stalwart David Croft is proud to be welcomed into the living rooms of millions of viewers worldwide. But one teenage superfan recently got the literal experience when ‘Crofty’ showed up on his doorstep to provide a unique experience.
Kyle Pearce, 15, from Ipswich, was chosen by Scalextric in the company’s hunt for the biggest F1 fan in the UK. And his reward was a special visit from Croft, Sky’s lead F1 commentator since 2012, who gifted Kyle and his father Chris their first Scalextric racing set and then stayed around to provide live commentary over their first race.
“We couldn’t believe it when Crofty walked into our home,” the Pearces said. “At first, we thought it had to be some kind of joke. Getting our first Scalextric set to race together was amazing, but having David commentate on that first showdown made it unforgettable. We can’t wait for more battles on the track.”
The visit took place in November, when the real-life F1 title race was still undecided. In Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lando Norris secured the podium finish he needed to be crowned World champion for the first time, out-scoring four-time title-winner Max Verstappen by just two points at the end of a gruelling 24-round season.
Speaking to Mirror Sport in Abu Dhabi before providing live commentary of the thrilling climax, Croft said: “I’d like to think that, after the race on Sunday or even before the race on Sunday, people get their Scalextric set out and create their own championship moment. If you’ve got a four-track Scalextric set, then you can stick George Russell in there as well. You can recreate your own Abu Dhabi 2025 in your living room.
“As sports fans, we love watching and feeling we can take part as well. Why is football so popular? Because we see a spherical object in the street and we think we’re Lionel Messi. Why is motor racing so popular? Because we get behind the wheel of a car and we think we’re Lewis Hamilton.
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“We love that thrill of competition as well. I was a big Scalextric fan as a kid. My F1 set, I had a McLaren and I had a Tyrrell. I used to race against my dad and we’d have some great fun with the Scalextric.
“That was really nice to go around to Kyle’s house and take him a Scalextric set and then watch him and his stepdad and their mates just having a bit of fun as a family. The thrill of competition can bring families together. It all ties in quite nicely.”
Calling the action in a Suffolk living room rather than a trackside commentary box was a new experience for the Sky Sports favourite, though he found it no less enjoyable. Croft added: “I did the commentary for Kyle and the guys, just to go round and surprise them and to have a bit of a laugh. I can’t chuck in as many stats because I don’t know Kyle’s previous history. I’ve not spent all week doing my notes for this one.
“When you’re in the commentary box you’re very much immersed in the moment. I don’t go with any pre-prepared lines. I’ve no idea what I’m going to say when the champion crosses the line and that’s always been the case. Otherwise, it’s almost like you’re trying to shoehorn a soundbite into it. I always think as a commentator, we’re there to narrate, to tell the story, but we’re in the moment with the fans as well.
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“So everything you hear is my passion and my enjoyment, be it I’m commentating in someone’s living room or I’m in a commentary box and we’ve got rather a lot of people watching and listening. To commentate in someone’s living room, it’s a lot of fun. I’ve probably got a better view of that particular track than I do of some tracks around the world and a bit more space in the commentary box!
“The nicest bit for me about doing all this was that, with Scalextric launching the Supercar Showdown set, it gave me a chance to work with them and say, ‘Let’s just go and surprise someone, let’s go and do something a bit fun, but also get the chat about Formula 1 as well’.
“What we didn’t record, we spent about 45 minutes at the end just chatting F1. I love doing that. This is a sport that has become my life. It’s my passion in my life and I get to share that with a lot of people and to go and meet people in real time and in person as well, it’s actually a real privilege. Formula 1 allows for those lengthy conversations.”
