Austin penalty puts Grosjean on the brink of race ban

40

Romain Grosjean has edged dangerously close to a one-race ban after his collision with Charles Leclerc in Austin resulted in a grid drop and one licence penalty point for the Haas driver.

Grosjean hit the Monegasque's Sauber at the entry to Turn 12 on the opening lap of the US Grand Prix, spinning his rival around while also damaging the front suspension of his Haas, forcing his car into retirement two laps later.

The stewards' subsequent investigation into the incident put Grosjean at fault, the Frenchman receiving a three-place grid penalty for next weekend's Mexican Grand Prix and one penalty point on his licence.

Ocon and Magnussen excluded from US Grand Prix results!

The latter boosts Grosjean's tally to 10 points in 12 months, or two points short of an outright one-race suspension, meaning he'll absolutely have to be on his best behavior in Mexico.

"There was a lot of action going on, I was fighting with Charles and Esteban (Ocon), I got to turn 12 and I braked early because I was behind them," explained Grosjean.

"I didn’t want to take much risk, but I ended up in the dirty air and I couldn’t stop the car.

"I tried to avoid the contact as much as I could, but Charles was trying to get a good exit and I hit him.

"I feel sorry for Charles and I’m frustrated for the team. This being our home race, we wanted to do well. It’s not been a great afternoon"

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.