Juri Vips: Red Bull terminate contract of F1 test and reserve driver after racist comment
A team state🌟ment read: “Following its investigation into an online incident involving Juri Vips, Oracle Red Bull Racing has terminated Juri’s contract as its te๊st and reserve driver.
“The team do not condone any form of racism.”
Red Bull’s confirmation that Vips would exit the team came on the same day that Nelson Piquet’s racist slur ofꦫ✤ Lewis Hamilton emerged.Hamilton responded 🐈to the ex-F1 world champion, and the father of Max Verstappen’s girlfriend, with a series of tweets including: “Let's focus on changing the mindset.”
F1, the FIA, Mercedes and Ferrari baꦇcked Hamilton with public proclamations against racism.
Red Bull have been embroiled in this internal scandal with Vips since last week, when it emerged that he said aꦗ rac൲ist slur w𝓡hile live streaming himself playing ‘Call of Duty’ on the social platf♎orm Twitch.
Vips was suspended pending an investigation.
He apologised at the time of his suspension, saying: “I wish to unreservedly apologise for the offensive language 𒁏usedꦏ during a live gaming stream earlier today.
“This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values an💞d principles that I hold. I deeply regret my actions and this is not the example I wish to set. I will co-operate with the investigation fully.”
Who is Juri Vips?
He is a 21-year-old Estonian who was in the Red Bull team as a nominated test and reserve driver, behind the team’s Formula 1 duo Verstappen anꦍd Sergio Perez.
Vips was competing in his third year of F2 this seaso🌃n.
He drove for Red Bull in test andไ practice days last season, and this year.
F1 facing major racism questions
In the days leading up to the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the issue of racism within Formula 1 is s﷽ure to be the main 𒁃topic.
Both Hamilton and Red Bull have fou𝔍nd themselves at the centre of separate issues on the same day.
Verstappen’s girlfriend✅’s father labelled Hamilton a racist name, before the reigning champion's team terminated the contract of Vips who also made a racist remark.
It is particularly poignant timing given that both incidents happened in the build-up to Hamilton’s home race - the seven-time world champion fr🤪om Britain has always been an advocate for social change whose influence extends far beyond the race track.
His words on issues of race and soc🦄ial change will perhaps never be more powerful than when he ad🎉dresses the media at Silverstone on Thursday.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a deca🗹de covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
