Lionel Froissart referred to Lance Stroll as "the autistic one" during the Austrian Grand Prix, in a totally derogatory tone. The broadcaster said it has opened an investigation into what prompted the "incident.
The commentator for Belgium's RTBF Sport channel, Lionel Froissart, was suspended by the broadcaster after referring to Lance Stroll in a derogatory tone during the Austrian GP, held last Sunday. At one point during the race broadcast, Froissart referred to the Canadian driver as "the autistic one.
The capacitating remark, which discriminates against handicapped people by prejudging their abilities, was immediately rebuked by colleague Gaetan Vigneron: "That's too heavy, you've gone too far. But Froissart shrugged, further saying that "frankly, that's the truth."
RTBF Sport issued a statement condemning the commentator's attitude. "RTBF strongly condemns the words used on Sunday, July 10, by consultant Lionel Froissart during the Austrian GP. To associate autism with the way a driver communicates is wrong and totally inconsistent with RTBF's values," the statement said.
The broadcaster also promised to investigate the case to understand why the offending remark was made. "An internal investigation will be conducted to hear from everyone involved. We want to understand in detail what may have caused this incident. Pending the outcome of this investigation, RTBF will not work with the consultant in question until further notice," he added.
The case is yet another that joins the list of serial insults and offenses that F1 has dealt with in recent days. First, Lewis Hamilton was the target of racist and homophobic comments by Nelson Piquet during an interview last year. The case had repercussions worldwide and provoked reactions from practically the entire grid in support of the seven-time champion.
The Austrian GP, besides the cases of racism and homophobia in the stands, also brought a dark side, but which is not new in the racetracks: harassment against women. During the last weekend, several female fans shared on the networks situations of sexual harassment - such as the Hamilton fan who had her dress lifted and heard that fans of the Englishman did not deserve respect.
F1 also spoke out about the case, promising action. Drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Hamilton, however, demanded more forceful attitudes from the category to prohibit the access of these people to the circuits.