Jeremy Clarkson in hot water after he aimed barb at Argentinian F1 driver - despite being a GUEST of his team at the US Grand Prix

Published: 11:04 EDT, 26 October 2026 | Updated: 11:11 EDT, 26 October 2026 Jeremy Clarkson is in hot water again after making an offensive remark towards Formula One team Alpine's Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto. Clarkson has a stormy history with Argentina after a controversial stunt in 2014 when his number plate appeared to reference the 1982 Falklands War. He and his fellow Top Gear presenters had to flee the country after he drove a Porsche 928 with the number plate H982 FKL, which angry locals threw bricks at. And the 66-year-old has again sparked controversy after joking that he would give Colapinto a grid penalty purely because of his nationality.To make matters worse, Clarkson was a guest of Alpine for the Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, when he made the remark.'Franco's got a grid penalty for being Argentinian... Probably. Well I'd give him one for that,' he said in an interview with Sky Sports' Martin Brundle. Clarkson was invited onto the grid in Austin as a guest of Alpine but has since been criticised for insulting one of the team's own driversHe then clarified: 'That's just because of what happened when we went there.'Colapinto's manager Jamie Campbell-Walter said: '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.'Colapinto, whose career-best Grand Prix finish across his 45 races is sixth, had to deal with a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race at the Circuit of the Americas as a result of power unit component changes. Clarkson's run-in over the Falklands is one of the most memorable scandals to have hit Top Gear. Rock-throwing protesters had vowed to 'barbecue' him after his stunt.Veterans of the conflict laid siege to the hotel where Clarkson and fellow presenters Richard Hammond and James May were staying after news of the number plate appeared online.Clarkson said at the time: 'I've been to Iraq and Afghanistan, but this was the most terrifying thing I've ever been involved in.' Franco Colapinto has urged his Argentinian supporters to refrain for further abusing his team Jeremy Clarkson, 66, has said he won't be sticking to his healthy diet after getting the all-clear from prostate cancer - because he 'hasn't worked his a**e off for 40 years to have no joy'It comes after the Falklands War became a major flashpoint during the summer's World Cup, with Argentina's players claiming the archipelago belongs to them, not Britain, following their semi-final win over England. Argentina's President Javier Milei has also amplified the messaging, saying in September that his nation 'needs to recover' the islands. Clarkson is in remission from aggressive prostate cancer after being diagnosed in mid-June.He said he was 'unwell for a short amount of time' after doctors 'found a little something' during his annual prostate check. Jeremy told The Times it was 'not nice' to have to tell his children he had cancer but simply went into hospital for a procedure and was back in his tractor a fortnight later.He is now feeling leaner after losing two stone down to weight-loss drug Mounjaro rather than 'steely will' and in series five, Jeremy's girlfriend Lisa Hogan advised him to adjust his diet and start eating healthier foods such as Greek yoghurt.'Sure, I can eat less and more healthily. I can become a herbivore,' he said. 'And yes, I can go for 20-mile hikes and do 20,000 steps a day.'But the truth is, there has to be some joy in life as well. And not drinking and not eating a pork chop means there is less joy in life. And 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.'Asked if he is going to stick to his new low-fat protein rich regime, Jeremy defiantly said: 'No,' while breaking out a NiQuitin lozenge. Jeremy has two grandchildren through his daughter Emily and her husband Alex Andrew: Arlo, aged three, and Xanthe, 18 months.