Grosjean gets 'kick in the face' grid penalty

Romain Grosjean took a "kicking in the face" from Formula 1 after he was given a three-place grid penalty for Monaco for causing a collision at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix. Grosjean spun across the track, creating a massive cloud of tyre smoke and collecting the Renault of Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly's Toro Rosso.

All three drivers were immediately out of the race with mangled cars, the on-board footage from Gasly's car painted a particularly scary picture as the youngster was unsighted due to Grosjean stamping on the accelerator.

Grosjean was put into the spin as he tried to avoid contact with his Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen at turn three on the opening lap, and team boss Guenther Steiner believes he has been harshly dealt with.

READ MORE: Terrifying footage from Gasly's car
READ MORE: Spanish GP Report

"That's kicking the guy in the face when he's on his knees," Steiner said of the punishment.

"He tried to get out of the way, that it his explanation. He tried to get across the track to get out of it and he hit two.

"He was turned and he said 'I had a decision to make, do I stand still or do I go through?' He went through and he knocked two out.

"If he had stood still maybe he would have knocked five out, we don't know. It's never a good position to be in, the middle of a car track, whatever you do. For me it's a start incident.

"Yes, it doesn't look good when you accelerate when are in the middle of the track, but it's a millisecond decision that you need to make and he made the decision to run across.

"I feel sorry for them that they were taken out but he didn't try an overtaking manoeuvre to take them out or understeer into anything.

"At the moment his reputation is not the highest one to do things he shouldn't be doing so maybe he's an easy target."

Although Haas' car appears to be the fourth-best on the grid in the early races of 2018, Grosjean is yet to score points this season, Magnussen having scored all of Haas' 19 which leaves them sixth in the constructors' standings.