Leading F1 commentator David Croft has come under fire from fans following a brutal question he asked of fellow drivers about Australian Daniel Ricciardo.
As the 35-year-old faces an uncertain future on the grid, Sky Sports’ Croft was not mincing words when speculating on the troubled RB Visa CashApp driver.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Max Verstappen, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda all answered questions, with Croft not missing the opportunity to focus on Ricciardo.
“A question for all three drivers. Lance, you have a very close relationship with Daniel Ricciardo. Max and Yuki do too and they were teammates,” he said.
‘Does Daniel Ricciardo deserve to continue in Formula 1 next year?’
Verstappen responded eloquently and many fans were quick to express their displeasure on social media at Croft.
“Does Daniel Ricciardo deserve to stay in F1 next season?” is a bullshit question,” one person posted on X.
A second chimed in, saying: “What’s so special about that Crofty question? That’s a bullshit question.”
F1 commentator David Croft has come under fire from fans following a brutal question he directed at Australian Daniel Ricciardo (pictured)
Ricciardo has not been offered a contract for 2025 and his F1 career looks set to rapidly draw to a close (pictured after finishing 13th at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix)
Meanwhile, other F1 fans are convinced that Ricciardo’s time in the sport is over, and there’s a very clear reason for that.
Various reports have claimed that Singapore could be his last race as Red Bull looks to the future with Kiwi Liam Lawson.
Although a decision has not yet been announced, some F1 fans are confident there are obvious signs in Singapore of the team’s decision.
Within the city’s MRT subway system, F1 teams have placed advertising everywhere ahead of the race weekend, and Red Bull is no different.
Of its four drivers, from the main team Red Bull and its sister team Visa Cash App RB, there is no sign of Ricciardo or the troubled Sergio Perez.
This is in stark contrast to Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda, who are at the centre of all marketing campaigns and have their futures in the team secured.
Ricciardo spoke to reporters at the circuit on Thursday, and even he admitted he’s not sure he’ll be in Texas for one of his favorite races on the calendar.
“I actually found out that I won’t be in the car for this race, that was after Japan or something like that. I know how it is and how it works, and I knew there would always be some deadlines… after the summer break or after Singapore,” he said.
‘The next step will be after Singapore. But honestly, there are still a lot of things up in the air. We’ll see how the weekend goes. I’m going to give it my all. We’ll see what happens. I’ll try to get on the podium. That’s my plan.
Daniel Ricciardo prepares for a decisive weekend with his future in doubt beyond Singapore
At Singapore’s subway stations, Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda are the stars of the advertising ahead of this weekend’s race
Ricciardo (left) has struggled to keep pace with Red Bull team-mate Yuki Tsunoda this season.
New Zealander Liam Lawson is waiting in the wings for his chance to land a permanent seat in Formula 1
“After the decision, that’s when the decisions will be made. We, who know the contract, that’s where the dates come in. So after the weekend, we’ll know more.”
Reports have claimed that Ricciardo will be sacked in place of New Zealander Liam Lawson, currently the team’s reserve driver, before the New Zealander is given a permanent place on the grid in 2025.
At the main team, Perez’s future is also uncertain despite his new two-year contract, with the Mexican far from the pace of world champion Max Verstappen.
It was initially thought that Ricciardo could make the jump to Red Bull from V-Ca-RB, but the most likely outcome now is that he will be let go altogether.
