"From the outside I'm not sure people fully appreciate and understand Max, just like they didn't with Sebastian," he told the High Performance podcast. "Because first of all, there's a sort of demonisation that both of them suffered at times which I think's very unfair. Maybe that's also a little bit of the British media, if I'm honest."

Namedropping Sky Sports particularly, Newey dug out their coverage by adding: "Sky have a huge influence around the world. Their viewing is truly international but their coverage is quite nationalistic, dare I say, and that can have an influence."

Croft often leads Sky’s coverage as their main commentator, though was absent at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He has refuted Newey’s claim that the broadcaster favours British drivers such as Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris, explaining what exactly dictates their coverage.

“I will try and follow the story, it’s as simple as that,” Croft told Speedcafe. “You try and follow the story wherever that story might be, and Formula 1 is unique in that there are many different stories that happen during the course of the race.

“You’ve also got to talk to the pictures, which we have no control over, on Sky, at all – they’re all from a world feed – so you’re reacting to what that director wants to put out there.

“I try to be as impartial as I can. It’s really difficult to prove whether you’re impartial or not because we all watch with a bias. We all watch with our own bias and our own perceptions of a comment or a statement that somebody makes. And when you’re trying sometimes to be neutral, someone will perceive that in a completely different way.

“Do I get more excited when a British driver wins? Possibly, you might think so, I don’t know because I’m in that moment. Do I get more excited when it’s been a thrilling race? Yes. Do I get more excited when there’s a great story to go with it? Yes. Do I get excited whoever wins? I try to.”