Juri Vips: Red Bull terminate contract of F1 test and reserve driver after racist comment
A team statement read: “Following its inves✅tigation into an online incident involving Juri Vips, Oracle Red Bull Racing has terminated Juri’s contract as its test 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 of Lewis Hamilton emeꦛrged.Hamilton responded to the ex-F1 wo♔rld 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 backed Hamilton with public proclamations against ra💛cism.
Red Bull have been embroiled in this internal scandal with Vips 🐻since last weཧek, when it emerged that he said a racist slur while live streaming himself playing ‘Call✨ of Duty’ on the social platform 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 used during a live gaming stream earlier today.
“This language is entirely unaccept🐲able and does not portray the values and 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 fullyꦆ.”
Who is Juri Vips?
He i♏s 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 Verstap꧃pen and Sergio Perez.
Vips was competin🎶g in his third year of F2 this season.
He drove for R💞ed Bull in test and 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 w♏ithin Formula 1 is sure to be the main topic.
Both Hamilton and Red Bull have found themselves at the centre of separ♌ate issues on the same day.
Verstappen’s girlfriend’s f⛄ather labelled Hamilton a racist name, before the reigningꦅ 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 ℱworld champion from Britain has always been an advocate for social change whose influence exte🧔nds far beyond the race track.
His words on issues of race and social cౠhange will perhaps never be more powerful than when he addresses the media at Silverstone on Thursday.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to ⭕football, to F1.
