Grosjean issues heartfelt apology to Brown: 'I completely misunderstood his words'

The Frenchman's misunderstanding began on Saturday, when Norris claimed a stunning pole position at a point when he appeared to be out of contention, while his teammate could only manage seventh, almost half a second off the pace.

In an interview with F1 TV, the McLaren CEO went into detail about the performance difference between his two drivers, explaining that Norris produced an exceptional lap when it mattered most. Brown also pointed out that Piastri remained close to his teammate throughout the weekend, but could not find the same extra performance in qualifying.

Words that Grosjean evidently misunderstood while appearing on Canal+, with the former F1 driver claiming Brown's comments towards Piastri were particularly harsh and accusing the McLaren CEO of publicly putting his own driver down.

However, just a few hours later, Grosjean took to social media to acknowledge his mistake and publicly apologise to Brown, admitting that he completely misunderstood the McLaren CEO's comments. The Frenchman also stressed how important it is to Brown and the entire McLaren team to treat both drivers fairly and equally, before adding that Norris and Piastri will have another opportunity to fight for victory in Baku.