Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has admitted that he’ll be “stunned” if “anything ever comes close” to the 2021 season finale, and the final lap in particular at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 2021 finale was completely overshadowed by former race director Michael Masi’s ‘human error’, which led to one of the most dramatic final laps in the history of the sport.
After Masi broke multiple rules, Lewis Hamilton lost an unprecedented eighth world title to Max Verstappen, who claimed his first crown.
A late crash for Nicholas Latifi resulted in a Safety Car with just the closing laps remaining, meaning Hamilton’s healthy lead at the time was destroyed.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Hamilton remained on the circuit on an old set of Hard tyres, whereas Verstappen pitted for Softs.
Controversially, only the lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen were allowed to un-lap themselves, before racing resumed on the final lap.
Due to superior tyre grip, Verstappen dived down the inside of Hamilton at Turn 5, to win the race and the title.
Verstappen’s last lap overtake on Hamilton left everybody on their feet, as many couldn’t believe what was unfolding.
Croft admits that the final lap at the Yas Marina Circuit in 2021 is the most memorable moment of his commentary career to-date, and that he’d be amazed if anything ever comes close to beating it.
“I think, of all the races I have covered, and I could go on forever about the great races, but if anything ever comes close to the last lap of Abu Dhabi in 2021, I will be not only stunned but impressed that a sport can do that, to be honest,” Croft said in the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
READ: ‘Let’s face it’: Ex-F1 champion’s Sergio Perez message about Max Verstappen
“I was in the office one day, about eight races out, going, ‘This is going down to the wire. They’re going to have the same amount of points when we get to Abu Dhabi.’ I could just see it. It was just one of those seasons, and so it transpired.
“Did we think it was going to come down to the last lap? No, and certainly, for most of the race, it didn’t look like it was going to boil up into anything. But that is the beauty of live sport. Things change around in an instant.
“To be there at the centre of it and to be the lead voice alongside the man [Martin Brundle] who has brought F1 into the homes of people for a lot longer than me and will carry on doing so for many, many years to come, and for Martin and I to be there in that moment and to have the privilege of describing that action, that’s what any kid kicking a football around pretending to be Martin Tyler aspires to.”