Romain Grosjean has publicly apologised to McLaren chief executive Zak Brown over misunderstood television broadcast comments made during the Spanish Grand Prix meeting in Madrid.
Working as a pundit for French broadcaster Canal+, Grosjean incorrectly claimed Brown severely undermined Oscar Piastri following qualifying at the Madring. The former Formula 1 driver alleged Brown stated reigning 2025 world champion Lando Norris was simply the better driver.
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The controversy stemmed from an F1TV interview conducted after Norris secured pole position. When asked about the pace deficit between his drivers, Brown merely praised his champion while noting Piastri narrowly missed the ultimate lap time.
This televised error underlined the intense media scrutiny surrounding team parity, particularly as a frustrating Madrid setback left Piastri finishing eighth on Sunday.
Grosjean issued a formal retraction on Sunday evening to clarify his remarks.
“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,” Grosjean added, according to motorsport.com.
The apology capped a complex weekend for the Woking brand. McLaren lost a likely Formula 1 victory during a virtual safety car period, despite celebrating a strategic GT3 triumph in Germany.
Both McLaren drivers will resume their campaign at the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku.
