Formula 1 reserve driver suspended for using N-word during Twitch live stream

• Red Bull Racing has suspended 21-year-old Juri Vips, their F1 reserve driver who competes in F2.

• Vips used the N-word during a Twitch live stream while playing "Call of Duty: Warzone" with another driver.

• The incident is reminiscent of Kyle Larson, who was fired from his NASCAR team.

Oracle Red Bull Racing announced it had suspended Formula One reserve driver Juri Vips for using a racist term during a recent Twitch live stream.

According to Asher Fair of Beyond the Flag, videos shared on social media showed Vips saying, "Bitch [N-word]" while on a Twitch live stream. Vips was playing "Call of Duty: Warzone" with fellow Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson.

Red Bull Racing released a statement announcing the suspension and that they are investigating "the incident."

The 21-year-old Vips is a Red Bull Racing Junior team member and competes in Formula 2. He is also a reserve driver for Red Bull's F1 team and completed his first F1 test drive earlier this season before the race in Spain. He is currently seventh in the F2 standings with two podiums this season.

Vips issued an apology on Instagram, saying he deeply regrets the incident and will cooperate with the investigation.

The suspension is reminiscent of a similar incident involving reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson.

Larson used the N-word during an iRacing event that was streamed online in April 2020. He was initially suspended by Chip Ganassi Racing but was later fired after most of his car's partners pulled their sponsorships.

After missing most of that season, Larson returned to NASCAR in 2021 with Hendrick Motorsports and won the Cup Series championship.

Despite the success, Larson has still struggled to secure sponsors. Most often, his car is "sponsored" by the team owner's car dealership business, HendrickCars.com.

Read the original article on Insider