A Formula One commentator has been suspended amid an investigation after insulting Lance Stroll during the Austrian GP.
A Formula 1 commentator has been suspended amid an investigation after insulting Lance Stroll during the Austrian Grand Prix.
Lionel Froissart, a commentator for the Belgian broadcaster , described the Aston Martin driver as "the autistic one."
Froissart's comment was quickly challenged by colleague Gaetan Vigneron, who said, "That's too strong. You are going too far."
However, Froissart reiterated his insult by claiming, "Honestly, that's the truth."
The Belgian broadcaster provides the official French-language narration for , and the incident has caused a storm on social media.
In a strong statement to the website , a confirmed Froissart's suspension.
"A strongly condemns the words used on air on Sunday, July 10, by its consultant Lionel Froissart during the Austrian GP," the statement said.
"To associate autism with a driver's way of communicating was uncalled for and completely inconsistent with the values of ".
"An internal investigation will be conducted to hear from everyone involved. The goal is to understand in detail what could have caused this incident."
"Depending on the results of this investigation, the will no longer work with the consultant in question until further notice."