Sutil faces criminal charges over Shanghai incident
by Jack Lamure on May 17th, 2011Force India's Adrian Sutil is to face criminal charges over an incident following the Chinese Grand Prix. Sutil is accused of causing physical and grievous bodily harm to Eric Lux, a boss at Renault F1 owners Genii Capital.
'In the view of the recent events which occurred in Shanghai on 17 April, Mr Eric Lux has decided to file a criminal complaint against Mr Adrian Sutil for physical assault and grievous bodily harm,' Lux's lawyers said in a statement yesterday.
Facts are short on the incident, though it is known that Lux was left needing stitches following a confrontation with Sutil, who is accused of striking him with a champagne glass.
However Sutil denied having injured Mr. Lux intentionally in a statement to the German media last week: "During a private event, there was a very unfortunate action by me in which I hurt another person completely unintentionally," said the 28-year-old. "I regret the incident and have apologised accordingly. Since this was a private event and not directly related to Formula 1 or my job as a Formula 1 driver, I ask for understanding that I will say no more on this incident."
The incident does not appear to place Sutil's position at the team in any doubt, though that could well change were he to be found guility of the charges. The team has fellow German Nico Hulkenberg waiting on the sidelines should Sutil be forced to give up the seat.
Comments and Discussion
When it has nothing to do with F1 or his job as a formula1 drive.. y should he lose his super driving license ?
Bertrond Gachot was the last F1 driver to be convicted of assault back in 1991. Who replaced him??? A certain Mr.Schumacher and the rest is history. Now Force India is the 4th incarnation of the Jordan outfit and with Sutil's seat under some pressure with this investigation, there is another very quick young German ready to fill the race seat (the Hulk)!
Well he shouldn't lose his super license but I think if he is guilty then he will probably lose sponsorship and his place in the the team and probably F1. Sponsors like a squeaky clean reputation for the drivers that are representing them. Anyway Lux probably tripped and fell onto his Champaign bottle while Sutil was kindly pouring him a glass.
I don't understand this whole "Since this was a private event and not directly related to Formula 1 or my job as a Formula 1 driver, I ask for understanding that I will say no more on this incident." line. Yeah ok sutil. Maybe it had nothing to do with f1 but it did have something to do with an alleged charge of g.b.h. How can that excuess be used as a get out?
If i killed four people i wouldn't say, since it has nothing to do with being a chef (that is my business) I refuse to answer any questions on it. If you're going to take that route at least be honest and say i will not answer questions about the incident because i have to get my defense in order.
The point is if he did it in the paddock he'd be out by now. If you gave yourself food poisoning it'd be your own business; if you cook a meal in your work and it gives people food poisoning that's a different matter.
By the way, I'm not suggesting you have a habit of giving people food poisoning!
Really it has nothing to do with what he does for a living.
The simple fact is that hitting someone in the face with a glass is a pretty serious offence and can often earn you a custodial sentence. The location of where the offence took place is irrelevant - whether he did it at home, in the pub or at a private event. Murder is still murder wherever the crime occurs.Same for GBH, ABH etc etc. Once the authorities are involved it's up to them how to persue it.
But because he did it away from F1 the FIA have no power to enforce a ban on him at this stage. They'll only be able to act once the matter has been settled in the courts (if it gets there). Whereas if he thumped someone in the paddock the FIA could ban him. D'ya get me?
I get ya.
But Sutil would have been less likley to be brandishing a champagne glass in the paddock - the devil is in the detail- it is the seriousness of the allegation that is the issue.
I'm not saying he should be banned, just that the potential is there for a ban because of the gravity of the alleged incident.