Former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean has issued an apology for misrepresenting McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown's comments about Oscar Piastri at the Spanish Grand Prix. The incident occurred during Grosjean's commentary for Canal+ and quickly gained traction on social media.
During qualifying coverage, Grosjean discussed an interview Brown gave on F1TV with Laura Winter, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jolyon Palmer. When asked about Lando Norris's pole position, Brown praised Norris, saying, "The whole lap was amazing and Lando's just getting better and better and better. When you see a lap like that put down, you just go, 'he's a world champion'."
When Montoya asked what Piastri, who qualified seventh, needed to step up in qualifying, Brown replied, "I think a) you got Lando on his A-plus game, right? So I don't think there was anything left laptime-wise there. Oscar's been right there with him all weekend and just didn't get that same extra lap. We'll continue to look at it."
However, on Sunday, while commentating on the race, Grosjean described Brown as taking a chainsaw to Piastri's performance. He claimed that Brown had said Norris is a world champion and better than Piastri. Grosjean's comments quickly spread on social media, becoming a trending topic.
Realizing his mistake, Grosjean took to social media on Sunday night to write, "Today, I made a comment on Canal+ regarding Zak Brown's comments about Oscar Piastri during an interview yesterday on F1TV, which I was part of. I completely misunderstood his words and want to apologise for that. I know how important it is to Zak and the entire McLaren team to respect their drivers and treat them fairly and equally."
He added, "McLaren had the fastest car today and were unlucky with the VSC. I'm sure both Lando and Oscar will have another chance to fight for the win in Baku."
Grosjean's apology highlights the importance of accurate communication in motorsport, especially when it involves team figures' statements. This misunderstanding also underscores how quickly information can spread and cause controversy in the digital age. With this clarification, the focus can return to on-track competition, where McLaren showed strong performance and both drivers are ready to compete at the next race in Baku.
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