Sky Sports commentator David Croft has claimed that Lewis Hamilton was instrumental in securing both him and Martin Brundle roles in the newly-launched Formula 1 film. The racing legend, who is also a co-producer and consultant on the Brad Pitt movie which launched on Wednesday, received high praise from director Joseph Kosinski.

Hamilton's influence was crucial in bringing the familiar voices of Croft and Brundle to the £240million silver screen project. Croft, who has been the voice of F1 commentary since 2006, and Brundle, a seasoned analyst since 1997, were "endorsed" by Hamilton for their authenticity.

Croft recently told The Times that Hamilton said: "'If you want to make it authentic commentary, you need Martin and Crofty,'" before he added: "I really appreciated that. Martin and I, we've done five or six sessions, including filming in a commentary box.

READ MORE: This Morning's Ben Shephard left red-faced after innuendo slip-up with guest

READ MORE: Christian Horner 'regrets' sacking Red Bull driver as problems mount for F1 giants

"Hopefully, it sounds as authentic as a normal commentary because they did allow Martin and I to veer off script and call it how we'd call it, which is great."

Croft also spoke highly of Brundle, adding: "He's [Brundle] the expert, he's the analyst, he's the man that's gone and driven cars and raced in these cars, and I'm the broadcaster, the journalist, who's not afraid to go, right, 'What do you mean by that?'"

Hamilton's fans continue to grapple with Croft over comments made following the racer's controversial defeat to Max Verstappen in December 2021 - a loss denying Hamilton a record-breaking eighth world championship title, which would have seen him eclipse the iconic Michael Schumacher.

Verstappen clinched victory after a decision by race stewards that sparked debate and led to Croft to speak about the unpredictable nature of live sport at times working "against you." Croft has revealed he still gets messages from disgruntled Hamilton supporters "on an almost daily basis," explaining: "We still remember it.

"The rules weren't followed. We know that, we've read the report. It's not going to change. What can I say? Probably nothing, because whatever I do say, it's going to be wrong.

"So I try and ignore it, to be fair. We all know what happened, but it isn't going to change I'm afraid, Lewis Hamilton fans. You still contact us, on an almost daily basis, about Abu Dhabi 2021," reports the Express.

Despite the ongoing tension among fans, there appears to be a sense of respect between Hamilton and Croft, who has also warned the highly decorated driver about the challenges of his move to Ferrari. Just before the season kicked off in March, Croft said: "I have a theory that [team-mate Charles Leclerc] will win every battle, both in qualifying and in the race, against the seven-time world champion.

"Lewis is no rookie, but in recent years at Mercedes, he has lost motivation. He lost it precisely when he didn't get that multi-year contract with the British team."

Hamilton clinched an astounding win in the Chinese Sprint race, but both he and Leclerc are chasing their first Grand Prix victory of the season – a feat they're eager to achieve as Formula One gears up for the Austrian GP this weekend.