Young drivers can be known to have short tempers but this story from the Formula 3 European Championship in Hungary is absolutely ridiculous.
After getting blocked during a session by Callum Ilott, Force India’s F1 development driver Nikita Mazepin punched the 17-year-old after a war of words, giving him a black eye and a swollen jaw.
The decision from the race stewards was to give the Russian driver a ban for the first race of the weekend. However, he’ll be able to compete in the following two, something Ilott’s team boss isn’t particularly happy about.
“This is a ridiculous decision by the stewards,” Frits van Amersfoort, boss of the Van Amersfoort Racing told Autosport. “Callum was attacked twice in the face – twice! The first reaction might be emotional, but then they were separated and he was attacked again.
“He has a black eye, he has a swollen jaw, he’s been hurt, not just attacked.”
The stewards decision to give Mazepin a race ban took over nine hours (and you thought F1 took a long time) something else the Van Amersfoort Racing boss was annoyed about.
“When you make a tackle on the football field and the other player kicks you, he gets a red card immediately. I’m utterly disappointed by the stewards and the FIA.”
Whether or not the decision is too soft or not, one thing’s for sure is he won’t have done his F1 chances much good with his behaviour.