Romain Grosjean won't live down his quip about a bird he struck at 230 mph during Indianapolis 500 testing. The French racing driver's flippant comments about the collision have drawn sharp rebuke from animal rights activists who say he showed callousness toward the animal's death.
Grosjean, 40, detailed the gruesome aftermath of hitting the bird during this week's practice runs. Blood smeared his race suit, feathers scattered across the rollbar and aerodynamic screen, and visibility became compromised. Then came the punchline: "The helmet stinks, the seat stinks. I didn't get any chicken for lunch; I just walked past it."
Peta UK and Europe's senior vice-president Mimi Bekhechi didn't find it funny. She accused Grosjean of lacking basic empathy, noting that he seemed more bothered by damage to replaceable equipment than the death of an animal that had no control over the situation. The group vowed to send the driver plant-based chicken and highlighted the conditions birds endure in factory farming.
The bird strike isn't Grosjean's first brush with trackside wildlife. At the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix, a groundhog wandered onto the circuit at the 13th turn as Grosjean approached. The collision damaged his car's nose and prompted complaints that race officials hadn't adequately cleared animals from the track.
Grosjean drives for Dale Coyne Racing and will compete in the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix survivor is no stranger to high-stakes racing moments, but this time the controversy comes not from what happened on track, but from what he said afterward.
Author James Rodriguez: "A guy survives a fiery crash and thinks he can joke his way through killing a bird on live testing? The tone deafness alone is worth the backlash."
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