Luca Corberi, the dirgraced kart racer, has a June 22nd, 2021 date set for his appeals hearing with the FIA International Tribunal.
Corberi was universally condemned by the motorsport community after video his road-rage incidents at the 2020 FIA Karting World Championship went viral on social media. In the video, a furious Corberi is seen tracksaide after an on track incident ended his race. He’s seen waiting for the competitor he blamed his DNF on, then throwing the front bumper at him. Further video shows Corberi and his father (the Lonato track owner) brawling with the same competitor in the pits after the race.
After the incident, Corberi went on social media to vow never to race again, and was initially in danger of a lifetime competition ban by the FIA, but was instead slapped with a 15 year suspension earlier in 2021.
The case has drawn an excessive amount of international media attention. While the prevailing thoughts seem to be that the punishment is deserved, there are some who believe that such a long ban provides no opportunity for the disgraced Corberi to redeem himself, even after serving a stiff suspension. After all…the behaviour is not an isolated incident, and has been seen in professional motorsports for years.
Full Statement
On 4 October 2020, at the South Garda Karting circuit in Lonato, in the framework of the 2020 FIA KZ Karting World Championship Final, Luca Corberi was involved in the following incidents:
(i) he threw the front fairing of his kart to the track while other drivers were still competing;
(ii) he physically attacked another driver.
On 1 February 2021, the President of the FIA decided to submit this case to the International Tribunal pursuant to Article 4.2 a) of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules.
On 19 April 2021, the International Tribunal, after having heard the parties and examined their submissions, decided to:
– Confirm the disqualification of Mr Luca Corberi from the competition of Lonato, Italy (2020 FIA Karting World Championship-KZ);
– Impose to Mr Luca Corberi a suspension (Article 12.3.1.n of the FIA International Sporting Code (1) and a ban (Articles 5.2.2.b (2) and 5.2.2.d (3) of the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules) for a period of 15 years starting on the date of coming into force of the decision of the International Tribunal.
On 23 April 2021, Mr Luca Corberi decided to appeal the decision of the FIA International Tribunal.