Grosjean fumes at ‘nonsense’ French GP penalty 

Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean has labelled his French Grand Prix penalty as “nonsense”, adding FIA race stewards must have been “drinking rose wine” when making the decision. 

Grosjean was handed a five-second time penalty for making contact with Force India’s Esteban Ocon on the run to Turn 1 at Paul Ricard last weekend. 

The Frenchman, who was mystified by the decision when told about the penalty over team radio during the race, showed media on-board footage from his VF-18 car on Thursday at the Red Bull Ring. 

"Tell me what I did wrong?” an angry Grosjean asked reporters ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. “That’s how you get a five-second penalty. Did I move my steering wheel? Did I turn left or do anything?" 

“[Charles] Leclerc's pushing me to the left, I'm going to the left and then he doesn't move much. Obviously I don't want my front wing to be damaged so I moved a little bit to the left as well. 

“I got the video this morning and when I saw it I was pretty shocked that I got a penalty for that - It’s absolutely nonsense,” he added. “That's all I can say. I think they were drinking rosé wine. 

“I couldn't know he was there because I'm almost on the edge of the track so I'm not expecting a car to be there. I didn’t understand it after the race and then this morning I just saw that video and I understand it even less.”

Grosjean revealed he had sent Ocon a message to apologise for the pair’s coming-together but received no reply from his fellow countryman. 

"I apologised,” Grosjean said. “I sent him a text saying 'I didn't see you, sorry’. Anyway I think he ruined his grand prix two corners later. I flew in with him this morning and he didn't say anything. 

“But that's another story. I saw him for an hour and a half on the plane. It's alright. It was our home grand prix and everyone wanted to do well.”

Grosjean ultimately finished 11th in France to continue his point-less streak so far this season. 

When asked how much the penalty affected his race, he replied: “A lot. Obviously we couldn’t pit early because we were trying to open up the gap behind and you know you have five seconds you need to stay out there but then everyone who has fitted new tyres early on is going to have an advantage. 

“On those one-stop races where the tyres can do one race it kills you. When there’s high-degradation and then there is a big difference in lap time you can live with that but in a race with just one-stop and no big deg it kills you.”