Written by Hugh Waring, Edited by Sasha Macmillen
Following remarks made during a twitch livestream, Red Bull Racing reserve driver Juri Vips has had his contract terminated.
The Estonian made a racial slur during a livestream broadcasted by fellow Red bull Junior, Liam Lawson. The event led the Austrian team to suspend the activities of Vips. The F1 team, well-known for its successful young-driver academy, released a statement on Tuesday:
“Following an investigation into an online incident involving Jüri Vips, Oracle Red Bull Racing has terminated Juri's contract as a test and reserve driver. The team does not condone any form of racism."
Following the outburst made by the Estonian, Vips quickly went to social media to apologise for the incident, quoting:
“I wish to unreservedly apologise for the offensive language used during a live gaming stream earlier today. This language is entirely unacceptable 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.”
Red Bull Racing's announcement follows the drive the Estonian had been given at the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this year in FP1, as well as multiple drives at the end-of-season, young drivers test in Abu Dhabi. This contract ends a 4-year relationship where the 22-year-old finished 4th consecutively in Formula 3 and finished 6th in the 2021 Formula 2 Championship.
Vips currently sits 7th place in the standings of F2 this year, with a podium finish at the Monaco feature race.