Formula 1 broadcaster David Croft publicly apologized to Sky Sports viewers following the airing of strong language by a driver during live TV coverage of the Italian Grand Prix qualifying session. The incident involved a visibly upset Isack Hadjar, who had achieved his first F1 podium at Zandvoort last week but faced disappointment in the Monza qualifiers.
The French driver unexpectedly found himself in the lower rankings at the close of the first qualifying round, leading to an early exit from the session. Venting his frustration, Hadjar blamed Carlos Sainz from Williams for obstructing his progress on the track, expressing his annoyance at Sainz’s tactics during the out-lap.
Hadjar’s remarks, which included profanity, were captured by the Sky production team, prompting a swift apology from Croft to the audience for the explicit language. Additionally, Croft informed viewers that Hadjar would start the upcoming race from the back due to an impending penalty.
In preparation for the race, Hadjar faces penalties for exceeding the permissible number of engine components allowed per season, necessitating a pit lane start for the 20-year-old driver on Sunday. Fans can catch all live Formula 1 sessions, including practice, qualifying, and races, through Sky’s latest Essential TV and Sky Sports package, featuring various channels and complimentary subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.
While Racing Bulls encountered challenges in the qualifiers, with Liam Lawson finishing at the bottom of the timesheets, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position. Lando Norris will join Verstappen on the front row, outpacing his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starts fourth at their home event, while Lewis Hamilton faces a grid penalty, dropping to 10th place.