French Driver Hits Bird at 230 mph During Indy 500 Testing
French racing driver Romain Grosjean has drawn criticism from animal rights organization Peta following his remarks about striking a bird while testing for the upcoming Indianapolis 500. The incident occurred when Grosjean was driving at approximately 230 mph.
The 40-year-old former Formula One driver, who suffered a severe crash during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, described the bird strike in vivid detail earlier this week.
“I still have blood on my race suit, there were pieces of the bird on the rollbar. I couldn’t see where I was going any more, there’s plenty on the aero screen,”
“The helmet stinks, the seat stinks. I didn’t get any chicken for lunch; I just walked past it.”
Peta Responds to Grosjean’s Comments
Mimi Bekhechi, senior vice-president for Peta UK and Europe, expressed disappointment over Grosjean’s perceived lack of empathy toward the bird’s death.
“Birds have feelings, apparently more than Grosjean does, considering that he seemed more concerned with his car, helmet, and suit – all replaceable – than the smash-up of this unsuspecting bird,”
Peta also drew attention to the conditions of birds raised in factory farms and announced plans to send Grosjean some plant-based chicken alternatives.
Previous Animal Collision Incident
This is not the first time Grosjean has been involved in an incident with an animal on a racetrack. In 2019, during practice for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, Grosjean collided with a groundhog at the 13th turn. The unexpected collision caused damage to the nose of his car and prompted Grosjean to criticize race officials for insufficient measures to prevent such occurrences.
Upcoming Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for 24 May. Grosjean will compete driving for the Dale Coyne Racing team.
