The Estonian driver, seventh in Formula 2 and already on the track at Montmelò in free practice on Friday in F1, had been suspended for insulting and homophobic phrases spoken live online while playing Call of Duty with friends. The precedents of Larson, Abt, Mazepin and … Verstappen (but he was forgiven)
The decision was almost a foregone conclusion. And therefore he does not surprise anyone: Juri Vips is no longer a Red Bull driver. The team, after having suspended him last week for racist slurs during an online gaming session, carried out the promised investigations. And the decision was announced today in a tweet: “Following the investigation, Oracle Red Bull Racing terminated Juri’s test driver contract.” Many greetings, without too many extra compliments. “The team does not condone any form of racism,” is added in the tweet.
Unforgivable phrases live online
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Only a couple of days before the crime, Vips was at Montmelò, we had seen him on the track on Friday morning for the first free practice session, in place of Sergio Perez: after all, he had been one of the most in view of Formula 2, which is why he was first on the list among Red Bull’s youngsters. Then that video appeared, with a series of racist and insulting phrases he uttered during a live on Twitch, while playing with a group of friends in Call of Duty, a video game in which fights are simulated. They ended up on social clips in Vips defines “Bitch N … a” an enemy and in which he refuses to wear a pink hat claiming that she is “gay”. The reaction of many users who were online with him was immediate, starting with Liam Lawson, a pilot himself in the Red Bull Academy, who was playing with him. And so Vips, winner of a couple of Formula 3 races in 2019 and two more last year in Formula 2, currently seventh in F.2 with 3 podiums, was suspended by the team. And, after today’s epilogue, his career is likely to be over.
larson, fired and then … champion
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The precedents are not lacking, and are above all linked to the world of gaming, which is virtual, but not too much. In the sense that the participants, sitting comfortably at home, lower their attention relative to certain behaviors. Famous in the United States is the case of Kyle Larson who in 2022, in full pandemic, while playing “Monza Madness” with several colleagues, lost the audio connection with his competitors for a while, and, while testing the audio, he left escape a: “Hey, n * ro, can you hear me?”. Chip Ganasi’s Team suspended him. And only after a period of “quarantine” in minor leagues he is back, with Team Hendick. Moreover, winning the championship last year.
Abt, in cheat online
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Unlike the case of Daniel Abt, a German driver who competed in Formula E with Audi in the team managed by his family. Also the case with him was during the pandemic, when the electric category in the middle of the lockdown organized a real virtual championship, with all 24 drivers on the grid. After he had not shone in the first four tests, suddenly in the fifth, set in the circuit of the Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, therefore in a certain sense the home E-prix, Abt flew in qualifying, conquering the pole and then closed on the podium, third. Many colleagues were surprised. Stoffel Vandoorne asked live: “But is it really you, Daniel?”. Without receiving an answer. Moreover, the shot of him was confused, and the commentator, former Indy champion Dario Franchitti, was unable to speak with him. Immediate investigation of the IP address of the connected simulator. With the consequent discovery that Lorenz Hörzing, an Austrian Austrian simracer, was at the wheel. Audi fired him.
Mazepin and forgiveness for Max
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Things were resolved in a much softer way on the occasion of behaviors not at all consonant in the real world. For example, when the videos of Nikita Mazepin were circulating while he was groping a girl who then reported the incident. It had caused quite a stir, but then it was resolved without too much disruption. There were even fewer when in free practice in Portimao 2022 while he was trying the time Max Verstappen was hindered by Lance Stroll. “What a Mongol”, he yelled, in addition to a number of other epithets. The Government of Mongolia and Mongolian identity associations were furious. Helmut Marko himself thundered that this should not happen again. As indeed it happened. And the whole thing was forgotten.
June 28, 2022 – 7.45pm
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