Manor F1: Will Stevens surprised by Romain Grosjean’s attitude

One of the highlights of yesterday’s race came in the middle of the Grand Prix, with a collision involving Romain Grosjean and Will Stevens.

At this moment in the Grand Prix, the Frenchman at the wheel of his E23 was about to lap the Briton and his Manor. But misjudging the distances, the Lotus driver, then in 5th place, swerved back too early and hit his opponent’s front wing with his left rear wheel.

A difficult situation to understand for Stevens: « My race was going quite well with a one-stop strategy until the 50th lap when Grosjean hit me while overtaking, which was quite surprising as I gave him enough space. It was an unnecessary accident and it required me to pit again because my wing was damaged. It was clearly cut in two! »

After the race, Grosjean acknowledged his mistake and also apologized to Stevens: « It’s entirely my fault and I apologize. You never stop learning as a driver » said the French driver.

Two weeks ago, Romain Grosjean was already involved in a violent collision with Max Verstappen, but was not found guilty. However, the Dutchman had refused to acknowledge his mistake and apologize.

Will Stevens nonetheless finished the Grand Prix ahead of his teammate Roberto Mehri, who was forced to retire. It’s the first time a Manor driver has withdrawn during a race. Roberto Mehri may have experienced his last Grand Prix with the Russian team, potentially being replaced by the new reserve driver, Fabio Leimer, as soon as the Austrian race. “It was a very positive weekend for me and the team, so retiring for the first time this season is disappointing. I had an enjoyable battle with Will. However, there is still so much work to be done… but we must focus on what went well,” stated Roberto Mehri after the finish.