A document indicating that Romain Grosjean was penalized for a steering wheel infraction after Sunday’s Formula 1 crash is fake, confirmed David Croft.
Romain Grosjean’s Haas went careening into the inside barrier on the opening lap of this past Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 1 race at Bahrain International Circuit after making contact with the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat.
The contact with the barrier split the VF-20 into two pieces, and the front half sliced through the barrier but did not come completely out the other side.
The impact caused a blazing inferno, and after 28 seconds, Grosjean was miraculously able to extract himself from the cockpit and get away from the flames.
He was left with burns to his hands and forced to spend the next couple of nights at Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Hospital in Riffa, but he avoided any other significant injuries.
What he couldn’t avoid, however, was fake news surrounding the accident.
A document indicating that he had been penalized for failing “to reattach steering wheel after abandoning car”, a breach of article 22.5 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations, made the rounds on social media early Saturday morning.
This document, which falsely declares that Grosjean has been fined and issued two penalty points, is shown below.
David Croft, a Sky Sports TV broadcaster who has served as the lead commentator for their Formula 1 coverage since the 2012 season, shot down this rumor.
No
— David Croft (@CroftyF1) December 5, 2020
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FIA documents are all available here, so nothing is ever hidden. Additionally, downloading a template and making modifications is not much of a challenge for those interested in spreading fake news on social media.
A similar document emerged last season when there was controversy over the finish of the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring involving Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Verstappen made the winning pass on the Leclerc in the closing laps, but the pass was under review as a result of how the move was executed.
A fake document declared Leclerc the winner over Verstappen, but the FIA ultimately took no action against Verstappen and Leclerc remained classified in second place.
Grosjean will not compete in this Sunday’s Sakhir Grand Prix at the outer layout of the same venue, but he hopes to return for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit to close out his Formula 1 career on a high note, as he will not be back with Haas next year.