Horner, who described Grosjean’s driving as “completely unacceptable”, said
that Lotus
needed to act: “The most important thing when you make a mistake is to learn
from it. And I think the most disappointing thing is that these are repeat
incidents. He doesn’t seem to be learning. I think he needs to have a talk
with himself. Or his team need to talk to him because he’s cost himself and
his team a colossal amount of points, together with the innocent victims
he’s collected en route. At this level I think it’s completely unacceptable.
He’s obviously capable of doing it. He’s a quick driver.”
Former drivers Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert were less convinced that
Grosjean, whose raw speed has been a match for his team mate Kimi Raikkonen
this year, could mend his ways. “These things don’t happen by coincidence,
said Brundle. “[Grosjean’s] judgment is clearly wrong in close combat and I
don’t know what he can do about it because it’s such an instinctive thing
down there [in racing situations].
“You can’t consciously start making decisions. And then when you start getting
tense about that, it’s all the more likely to happen.”
Grosjean confirmed that nervousness had led to the incident, as he was so
focused on avoiding a collision with Sauber’s Sergio Pérez that he failed to
see Webber: “After the ban in Spa, every start I am trying to be very, very,
very careful and this was the case again today. I did not move my line. I
stay where I was. [Sergio] Pérez was on my left in Turn One. I was
focusing on avoiding any contact with him. I didn’t see the delta speed with
Mark in front and we collided. It was a stupid mistake.
“Mark came to see me after the race and was obviously not happy, but I
apologised and we have to move on.”
Herbert, though, suggested the drivers should take matters into their own
hands. “What partly annoys me it seems to always go to the FIA and they all
leave it to them to decide,” he said, “but to me the drivers now, the GPDA,
should sit him down and absolutely have a right go at this guy.”