INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A 15-year-old Russian karter has been kicked off his team and is being investigated by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) after
making what appeared to a Nazi salute after winning in Portugal.Artem Severiukhin, competing under an Italian license because the FIA has
banned Russian competitors, struck his heart twice with his fist before extending his right arm in a gesture suspected of being a Nazi
an immediate investigation into the unacceptable conduct of Mr
Artem Severiukhin that occurred during the podium ceremony for the OK category at Round 1 of the 2022 FIA Karting European Championship at
the Kartodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal," the FIA said in a statement on Monday.His Swedish team, Ward Racing, said they had
fired the driver in an Instagram post on Monday."Ward racing is deeply in shame of the pilot's action," it posted on Instagram, adding that
it had made clear its opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by putting 'No War' stickers on driver helmets and has three Ukrainian
Severiukhin and will proceed with terminating his racing contract."Severiukhin said he had been misunderstood."I won the round of the
European Championship and was very happy," he was quoted as saying by a Russian Automobile Federation spokesperson according to
Motosport.com."I'm from Russia
I thanked the team and my relatives from Russia
Someone saw a bad gesture in my actions, but it's not
I am Russian, I am from Russia and I stand by my country."The site also quoted the Russian Automobile Federation as saying they too were
investigating "a gesture that some perceived as the 'Roman salute'."They pointed out that the driver was competing under the Italian flag
and the Italian anthem was playing as he made the gesture."We also report that we consider unacceptable any, even an accidental
manifestation of fascism and Nazism in Russian motorsport and among Russian athletes," said the Russian body.
