Jeremy Clarkson has ignited controversy after making a remark about Formula One driver Franco Colapinto during the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Clarkson, who was a guest of the Alpine team at the event, joked that he would give Colapinto a grid penalty solely based on his Argentinian nationality.
"Franco's got a grid penalty for being Argentinian... Probably. Well I'd give him one for that," Clarkson said in an interview with Sky Sports. He later clarified that the comment was related to a past incident involving himself and Argentina.
This remark has drawn sharp criticism. Jamie Campbell-Walter, Colapinto's manager, stated, "Jeremy Clarkson’s comments about Franco’s nationality were completely unacceptable. There is no place for remarks like this in Formula One, regardless of who makes them or whether they are intended as a joke."
Clarkson has a history of controversy with Argentina stemming from a 2014 incident during a Top Gear filming trip. The team drove a Porsche 928 with the license plate H982 FKL, which was interpreted by locals as a reference to the 1982 Falklands War. This led to protests, with angry locals throwing bricks at the vehicle and the presenters having to flee the country. Clarkson has previously described the experience as the most terrifying he had ever been involved in.
Colapinto himself had already been issued a 10-place grid penalty for the Austin race due to power unit component changes. The comment by Clarkson came despite him being a guest of the Alpine team for the Grand Prix.
In a separate personal note, Clarkson, who has recently been in remission from aggressive prostate cancer, has stated he will not adhere strictly to a new healthy diet. He expressed a desire to still enjoy life, saying, "I haven't worked my a**e off for 40 years to have no joy in my old age. So I'm having joy in my old age."