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'No excuse': Driver quits motorsport after 'disgraceful' meltdown

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Luca Corberi, pictured here throwing his bumper at a rival driver before attacking him in the pits.
Luca Corberi threw his bumper at a rival driver before attacking him in the pits. Image: FIA

An Italian driver who threw his bumper at and attacked a karting rival after a race has announced he is quitting the sport.

Luca Corberi shocked the world of motorsport on Sunday with his “disgusting” meltdown.

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Coverage of the FIA Karting World Championships showed 23-year-old Corberi crashing out and then waiting by the side of the track for rival Paolo Ippolito before hurling his kart’s bumper at him.

Luckily no one was injured, however things then escalated when Corberi attacked Ippolito in the pits after the race.

Fan-filmed footage showed Corberi tackling Ippolio, before Corberi’s father and owner of the South Garda circuit in Lonato, northern Italy, joined the melee.

On Monday, Corberi apologised for his actions and said he was walking away from the sport.

“I’d like to apologise to the motorsport community for what I’ve done. There are no excuses to explain why I’ve done such a disgraceful act, this has been something I’ve never done in my 15 years of career, and I really hope it won’t be seen by anybody else in the future,” Corberi wrote on Facebook.

“After the race, once I’ve been called by the sporting judges, I’ve asked them to take my license away because I was fully conscious about my irreparable mistakes, but as they showed me, they don’t have the power for doing it, it’s written in the international rules, so please, don’t be against them, they were just doing their work in the best way they could.

“For this reason I've decided to don’t take part in any other motorsport competition for the rest of my life, that’s not a self justice, it’s simply the right thing to do.

“My family has been in karting since 1985, we’ve seen it grow, we’ve seen the best and the worst part of it. This episode will be remember as one of the worst in our sport and that’s something I’ll never forget.

“I’m not asking any indulgence, because I don’t deserve it. I will totally agree with the punishments required.

“I’m writing today to say sorry even if it’s not enough, because after all the bad things that happened during this event, the worst ever has been done by me, a guy who love this sport and after the worst day of his life will still remember his good racing memories. Thank you.”

F1 world champ calls for life ban

Former F1 world champion Jenson Button led calls to ban Corberi for life.

“Luca Corberi has just destroyed any chance he had at a racing career after his disgusting behaviour today at the FIA Karting World champs,” the 2009 world champion wrote on Twitter.

“His father owns the circuit and is seen power driving the guy into a wall, life ban for both of these idiots please.”

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos agreed, tweeting: “FIA Karting Championships today in Italy. What is this guy doing. Should be banned from racing for life.”

The governing FIA said it had launched an immediate investigation.

with Reuters

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