Red Bull have ended relationship with Juri Vips, advisor Helmut Marko confirms
Marko has moved to clarify the situation after Christian Horner said Vips would continue to receive support from a ‘mental health and educational perspective’
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Your support makes all the difference.Juri Vips’ association and cooperation with Red Bull has formally ended, says the team’s long-term advisor Helmut Marko.
Ahead of the British Grand Prix earlier this month, Red Bull terminated the 21-year-old Estonian’s Formula One deal as test and reserve driver following an investigation into a racist slur he used during a live gaming stream in June.
However, team principal Christian Horner has since told PA that while the agreement between team and driver was “cancelled”, Red Bull would continue to “support him” from a “mental health and educational perspective.”
However, Red Bull motorsport advisor Marko - who is also head of the team’s driver development programme - moved to clarify the situation by telling Austrian broadcaster ORF Tirol that Vips’s association with the team has ended.
“I want to be clear - Juri Vips no longer receives any support from Red Bull,” Marko said.
“You need to be responsible for your actions and as a result, our cooperation has ended. Of course, words are not a reason to destroy the career of a talented athlete. Especially as he apologised. But these are global trends.”
Vips, who joined Red Bull’s junior roster in 2018, was handed his Grand Prix debut in opening practice at the Spanish Grand Prix in May.
He is due to complete his Formula Two season with Hitech GP and is eighth in the overall standings of a championship which acts as a feeder series to F1.
“That is their (Hitech’s) decision and we are not funding that drive in any way,” said Horner. “That is purely the choice of that Formula Two team and they have their own reasons for the actions they have taken.”
Vips, currently in his third F2 season, took to his Instagram account in June to apologise for his “unacceptable” language.
He said: “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 with to set. I will co-operate with the investigation fully.”
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