Banished Driver Enjoys Red Bull Support Despite Racial Slurs, F1 Team Faces Wrath of Disappointed Fans

Juri Vips is a name that has found itself in the grips of controversy. The Estonian driver was heard using a racial slur on a Call of Duty live stream. This led to a major backlash from fans. Vips also saw his F1 contract with Red Bull get terminated and was also on the verge of losing his F2 seat with Hitech GP. However, the team gave the 21-year-old a second chance and stuck with him this season- a trend his Red Bull family seemed to follow.

In their initial statement, Red Bull made a powerful comment against racism. However, now, the team has come out supporting the driver. In a recent interview, Christian Horner said, “Everybody deserves a second chance if they can show that they have really learnt from their mistakes.”

He added, “We will be supporting him–even though he has had his agreement terminated–from a mental health and educational perspective. Hopefully, he’ll learn from it.” Horner also confirmed that Red Bull would no longer be funding Vips in the F2 series.

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However, this has left fans confused as to what his association with Red Bull currently is. It has also divided the fans with some assuming that this is a fair punishment, while others call for harsher action.

Fans up in arms about the Red Bull and Juri Vips situation

Juri Vips has seen his career nearly go up in flames in the last few days. However, more recently, he has been offered a lifeline or two. First, it was Hitech GP’s decision to retain him for this F2 season.

Now, it is Red Bull offering him a hand of support by deciding to stand by the driver. Although he will still lose his F1 positions as a test and reserve driver, he will remain a part of their junior driver program. However, fans have not taken to this news kindly.

However, some fans were in support of the young Estonian. In their eyes, the repercussions of his actions were enough for him to learn from.

Will there be another twist to the tale? Nobody knows. It has been a rollercoaster few weeks for Vips. Does he deserve a second chance in your opinion?