Hitech owner Oliver Oakes said that Jüri Vips' racist and homophobic remarks during a live stream on Twitch "do not reflect the team's inclusive values," but has not yet taken a position on the Estonian's future in F2
Hitech has spoken out after Red Bull suspended its tie-up with Jüri Vips as a result of the driver's racist and homophobic comments during a live stream on Twitch. The British team owner Oliver Oakes said he was "shocked" by the Estonian's attitude, which "does not reflect Hitech's values," but did not confirm what the team's stance will be after the incident.
Vips is with Hitech for the 2022 F2 season alongside Marcus Armstrong and is currently seventh in the World Championship with 51 points. The future of the former Red Bull Driver Academy member, however, is still uncertain.
"I was shocked and horrified to hear about this incident," Oakes told FormulaNerds. "The comments made by Jüri are offensive and definitely do not reflect Hitech's inclusive values," he added.
When asked how he learned about the situation, the British team owner explained that he learned about it when the bomb broke. "Like everyone else, I found out about it an hour ago [after the video went viral on social media] - the video and the suspension of Red Bull with an ongoing investigation," Oakes finished.
Immediately following the statement Red Bull, Vips issued a note on his official Instagram account apologizing. "I wish to apologize unreservedly for the offensive language used during a live broadcast earlier today," the Estonian wrote. "This language is totally unacceptable and does not portray the values and principles I hold. I deeply regret my actions, this is not the example I wish to set," he continued, saying in the end that he would "fully cooperate with the investigation."
Understand the case:
Yesterday (22) morning, Vips participated in a Twitch broadcast on the channel of fellow F2 driver and Red Bull Driver Academy member Liam Lawson. At one point in the live stream, the Estonian uses the term"nigga", considered a serious offense to refer to black people. At another moment, Lawson throws a pink cap to Vips, who refuses, saying that "pink is a gay color.
Upon learning of the case, Red Bull decided to suspend ties with the driver. "Red Bull has suspended junior driver Jüri Vips from all team commitments with immediate effect following a full investigation into the incident," the Taurinos said in an official statement. "As an organization, we condemn abusive comments of all types and have a zero-tolerance policy for racist language and behavior within our organization," it added.