Artem Severiukhin: FIA to investigate after 15-year-old Russian apparent Nazi salute on podium
- FIA to investigate after 15-year-old Russian appears to make Nazi salute on karting podium
- ‘I know I am a fool and I’m ready to be punished, but please believe that there was no intention in my actions,’ he later said
Artem Severiukhin has apologised for any offence caused after the teenage karting driver gave an apparent Nazi salute on the podium on Sunday, which led to the termination of his racing contract.
Despite labelling himself a “fool”, Severiukhin has denied deliberately making the gesture, insisting “there was no support of Nazism or racism” intended by his action.
The teenager, who was representing Italy, rather than the country of his birth, due to sanctions placed on Russian athletes following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, made the gesture and laughed as he stood on the podium in Portimao in Portugal during the FIA Karting European Championship.
Widely shared footage of the incident led to the FIA launching an investigation into Severiukhin’s “unacceptable conduct,” before Ward Racing, the 15-year-old’s team, announced on Monday that he would no longer race with them.
“My name is Artem Severiukhin, and I want to apologise to everyone for what happened yesterday,” Severiukhin said in a video message.