The Haas F1 Team has confirmed that it is reviewing its links with Formula 2 driver Santino Ferrucci.
The American driver has been handed a 60,000 euro fine and a four-race ban for his behaviour in the support series sprint race at Silverstone on Sunday. It means he will miss the German and Hungarian rounds.
"I’ve seen the incident once on the TV when they showed the race," Haas boss Guenther Steiner said when asked about the actions of the team's development driver who has been involved in in-season testing with Haas in 2016 and 2017.
"I was made aware that there is some problems," he continued. "I’m going to deal with that one during the week when I’ve got more information.
"I’ve seen it, I’m aware of it, but at the moment I don’t have enough information – or informed – to make a decision."
Ferrucci made contact with his Trident team-mate - and fellow Haas development driver - Arjun Maini during the race. He then hit him again on the cooldown lap after the chequered flag. The team told race stewards that it had been a deliberate act on the driver's part.
Ferrucci was also fined for using a mobile phone in the car while driving to the paddock wearing just one race glove. He left the circuit without discussing any of the serious infringements with the stewards.
On Monday, he issued an apology on social media together with an explanation for his actions.
"I want to send my sincerest apologies for my actions on Sunday at the FIA F2 race at Silverstone Circuit," he said.
"I used extremely poor judgement at the conclusion of the race getting far too close to my team mate Arjun and swerved away only to graze his tyre, very fortunately causing no damage or issue to his car.
"There was no intent, premeditation or any type of retaliation by my actions, only anger and frustration as this has been a horrific year.
I have no excuse other than the fact that I am a twenty year old Italian American with a deep passion for motorsport, which is a very emotional sport.
"While there has been much provocation leading to my mental lapse, it is still not an excuse and I will make sure that this does not happen again.
"I realize I have embarrassed many people and I apologize to my Sponsors, Trident, my fellow drivers, Haas F1, FIA, FIA F2, my fans, friends and family.
"I also want to apologise to the FIA Stewards for not being able to attend the hearing.
"I was randomly selected for a drug test, as were others, and this delayed my return to the paddock by over an hour. At that point I very quickly packed and had to leave for the airport to catch an early afternoon flight back to the US to attend to an extremely urgent time sensitive family medical issue.
"I was notified of the Stewards meeting as I was leaving and did send an email to my team manager to forward to the Stewards explaining that I had no options but to leave."
Trident has already released an extraordinary statement of their own, fully backing Maini and his family over the incident. The team slammed Ferrucci and his father for their “unsportsmanlike and uncivilised” behaviour.
Trident added that its lawyers are looking at the implications for Ferrucci’s contract with the team. beyond the current four-race ban.
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