In one of the most bizarre incidents in motorsport in recent memory, a racing driver who was allegedly driven off the track by a competitor was seen throwing debris from his own kart at the competitor after waiting for him to drive by his crash site.
Luca Corberi, a 23-year-old kart racer, has been met with widespread condemnation for the violent act, and Formula 1 legend Jenson Button has led calls for a lifetime ban.
In the shocking footage, Corberi can be seen waiting at the side of the track, clearly looking for the driver who allegedly drove him off the track twice throughout the event. Corberi then picked up the bumper which had become free from his kart and threw it at the driver.
You can watch footage of the incident below:
Former F1 World Champion Button took to Twitter to vent his disgust at Corberi’s actions, linking a video from after the race that showed Corberi and his father, who owns the circuit, physically assaulting the young driver when they got back to the pits.
Button said:
Luca Corberi has just destroyed any chance he had at a racing career after his disgusting behaviour today at the FIA Karting World champs. His father owns the circuit and is seen power driving the guy into a wall, Life ban for both of these idiots please.
Button’s call for a ban has been echoed throughout the motorsport community. One Reddit user, TCVideos, described the footage as ‘very disturbing’, while others poked fun at Corberi for ruining his own career.
While most comments mocked Corberi, others were directed at Corberi’s father, who was seen launching himself at the victim.
Motorsport journalist Aurora Dell’Agli called for the FIA – motorsport’s governing body – to boycott the circuit forever:
The man with the black hoodie also assaulting the driver is Corberi’s father, owner of the track. The FIA should NEVER race in Lonato again.
The actions of Corberi could have seriously injured the lives of all racers on the day, and the shocking scenes after the race will almost certainly see the 23-year-old receiving severe punishment from the sport’s authorities.
The seriousness of the situation didn’t dampen the internet’s reliable sense of humour, though. Social media fans have been quick to jump on the news and provide memes and parody accounts of Corberi.
The official verdict on the future of his career is yet to be made, but with the entire sport rallying against Corberi, his future doesn’t look too bright.
