F1 commentator will miss their first Grand Prix in 28 years, a statement says
Tom Clarkson, a broadcaster and journalist, will miss a Formula 1 Grand Prix for the first time in 28 years next month. F1 fans know him well as the host of the weekly paddock press conferences, where he asks questions to team principals and drivers.
He has worked on F1 for BBC, Sky Sports, and especially Channel 4. But since 1998, he’s never missed a Grand Prix—until now.
Clarkson also hosts the popular F1 podcast ‘Beyond The Grid,’ where he chats with current stars and legends of the sport. In August, he had a special episode with Damon Hill to celebrate 30 years since Hill’s Drivers’ Championship win with Williams.
Now, Clarkson and Hill will go on a five-show tour in Australia and New Zealand called ‘An Evening with Damon Hill.’ Unfortunately, this tour clashes with the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, which is being held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Clarkson shared with Speedcafe, “We did a UK tour in January from Scotland to England and had a great time. The organizers asked if we’d like to take it abroad, and we said yes! When we found out Bahrain was at Sepang that same weekend, it made things tricky, but we’re committed to the tour—nothing will change.”
The busy F1 calendar today means some long attendance streaks have ended. For example, Sky Sports F1 lead commentator David Croft attended every Grand Prix from 2007 to 2024 but now misses a few each year, with Harry Benjamin filling in for him.
On the driver side, Lewis Hamilton holds the record for most consecutive race starts with 265. He missed one in 2020 due to COVID-19, so he didn’t quite beat Rubens Barrichello’s record of 325 between 1993 and 2011. Next season, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz will pass Hamilton’s streak. Verstappen recently signed a contract to stay with Red Bull until 2030, and Sainz has a new multi-year deal with Williams.