Vips to remain part of Red Bull junior team despite losing F1 test role

Ahead of the British Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing announced the termination of Vips contract as the team’s test and reserve driver after he was heard using racist language during a live stream of a video game. 

He was immediately suspended while Red Bull carried out a full investigation into the incident. 

• Red Bull suspends junior and F1 test driver after racial slur 
• Red Bull terminate contract of F1 test and reserve driver after racist comment
• Vips backed to continue season by Hitech but F2 call decision ‘surprising’

Crash.net understands that while Vips’ association with Oracle Red Bull Racing has come to an end, the 21-year-old Estonian is being retained by Red Bull’s young driver programme, despite having his profile removed from their official website. 

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has confirmed the Milton Keynes outfit will support Vips “from a mental health and educational perspective”. 

“We have cancelled our agreement with him and that will undoubtedly give him time for reflection,” Horner told the Press Association. 

“Everybody at some point deserves a second chance, if they can show that they have really learnt from their mistakes.

“He is a young guy, a young kid, and we will be supporting him – even though he has had his agreement terminated – from a mental health and educational perspective. Hopefully he will learn from it.”

Vips will complete the 2022 F2 season with Hitech and raced with a plain black helmet - without any Red Bull sponsorship - during last weekend’s round at Silverstone. 

“That is their [Hitech’s] decision and we are not funding that drive in any way,” Horner added. “That is purely the choice of that F2 team and they have their own reasons for the actions they have taken.”