“Max Verstappen has been fully supportive of Lewis Hamilton”- Christian Horner speaks out against Nelson Piquet and Juri Vips publicly ahead of British GP

"Max Verstappen has been fully supportive of Lewis Hamilton"- Christian Horner speaks out against Nelson Piquet and Juri Vips publicly ahead of British GP

Nelson’s Piquet racist remarks on Lewis Hamilton left the entire F1 community shocked and outraged earlier this week.

Most of the F1 community immediately came out in support of Hamilton as soon as Piquet’s comments resurfaced. However, the two major names missing from that list were that of Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen.

The latter was under scrutiny, because Nelson Piquet is his girlfriend Kelly’s father. As a result, it led to fans demanding that either Verstappen or Red Bull make a statement regarding the matter.

They didn’t do so on social media. However, ahead of the British GP Verstappen spoke out publicly in support of Hamilton, and admitted what Piquet said was no right. Following on that matter, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner too condemned what happened, and explained why they didn’t make a statement.

“First of all, because we are appalled by Nelson’s comments,” he said. “And it is from an interview some time ago. But we had an incident with one of our young drivers. Earlier or at the end of last week, and we took very definitive action.”

Also read: “British Grand Prix under chaos”- Silverstone GP faces major disruption as police warn protesters planning to invade the track

Red Bull and Max Verstappen are behind Lewis Hamilton

The incident Horner talks about is that of young Estonian driver Juri Vips. He was part of the Red Bull academy and driving in F2 this year. On a recent stream, he used a racially inappropriate slur, which led to his contract with the Milton-Keynes team being terminated.

This was a defining moment, and fans wanted to see Red Bull take a similar stand against Piquet. However, Horner explained why they didn’t do so.

“We feel that action speaks louder then works,” the 48-year old said. “And the action we took with Juri which was draconian but in line with the policy that we have.”

“Max has been absolutely clear that he is fully supportive of Lewis, as he stated in the press conference yesterday. Not just Lewis, but any form of racism or discrimination in the sport.”

Verstappen goes into this week’s British GP, leading the World Championship with 175 points to his name. Hamilton meanwhile, is P6 in the standings, with 77 points.

Also read: “This 40-year old guy was booing me when I don’t even know him”- George Russell shares experience after being jeered by fan first time ever

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Christian Horner Juri Vips Lewis Hamilton Max Versatppen Nelson Piquet Red Bull

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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