Romain Grosjean has returned to the Indy500 scene.
It is not the first time in motorsport history that a poor animal has met a tragic end. The high speeds at which drivers travel leave them with very little reaction time, meaning any living creature crossing the track is doomed to spend its final moments. That is what happened to a bird last week during Indy500 testing.
Romain Grosjean hit a bird, and the incident has drawn heavy criticism from animal rights groups.
Animals have been harmed on racetracks before. A clear example is the seagulls at Phillip Island (Australia) during the annual MotoGP event — such as Andrea Iannone’s infamous head collision with a bird in 2015 — or that Formula 1 race in Canada where Lewis Hamilton was visibly shaken after hitting a groundhog.
Something similar happened to a bird during the practice sessions held last week ahead of the Indianapolis 500. Grosjean, who completed his final season in F1 in 2020 and has now begun his second stint in IndyCar, struck the poor animal at 350 km/h. His reaction afterward has sparked a wave of criticism.
The Frenchman described his experience: “I still have blood on my suit, there were pieces of the bird on the roll bar. I couldn’t see where I was going anymore. There’s a lot on the windscreen. The helmet stinks, the seat stinks. I didn’t eat the lunch chicken. I just went right through,” Romain said after the test.
His comments earned him detractors. Mimi Bekhechi, vice president of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for the UK and Europe, criticized his attitude and lack of empathy. “Birds have feelings, apparently more than Grosjean, considering he seemed more concerned about his car, his helmet, and his suit — all replaceable — than about the collision with that unsuspecting bird,” the vice president said.
A very different attitude came from Hamilton after he ran over a rodent. “I felt something, but I was on the straight. I looked in the mirrors and saw nothing. They tell me now it was a groundhog… I’m devastated,” he said in front of the cameras. “I love animals, so I am very sad. It’s horrible,” he added, expressing regret.
