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Red Bull have terminated the contract of junior driver Juri Vips after the Formula 2 racer used a shocking racial slur last week.
During a live stream on Twitch, 21-year-old Vips was playing video game Call of Duty: Warzone alongside fellow Red Bull junior Liam Lawson, when he launched into a tirade about a fellow player, shouting: ‘F**k! B**h! N****r!’
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Red Bull announced that they would be suspending the Estonian driver from their program and launching an investigation, which has now resulted in his expulsion from the team.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Red Bull said: ‘Following its investigation into an online incident involving Juri Vips, Oracle Red Bull Racing has terminated Juri’s contract as its test & reserve driver.
‘The team do not condone any form of racism.’
Following his suspension, Vips had made a statement of his own, saying: ‘I want to unreservedly apologise for the language used during a live gaming stream earlier today,’
‘This language is entirely unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles 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.’
Vips drove for the Hitech team in F2 and was tipped for a move to Formula 1 in the future.
This all comes on the same day that three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet was condemned for using the same racial slur while describing Sir Lewis Hamilton in an interview on Brazilian television.
‘Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society,’ an official statement from Formula 1 said.
‘Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect. His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.’
Hamilton also responded to the incident, saying: ‘It’s more than language.
‘These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.’
MORE : Lewis Hamilton issues powerful response to Nelson Piquet’s racial slur
MORE : F1 22 game review – keeping up with the real world
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