FIA pursuing lifetime ban for karter Luca Corberi

Karting News

Kart racer Luca Corberi is facing a potential lifetime ban after the FIA confirmed it was seeking out the toughest possible punishment for the Italian

Luca Corberi, Karting

Corberi could face a lifetime ban after his actions last year

FIA Karting Championship

The FIA is pushing for a lifetime ban for kart driver Luca Corberi, saying that the Italian’s actions were unprecedented and warrant the toughest possible punishment.

During a KZ World Championship race last year Corberi threw a bumper from his kart at a rival during the race after crashing out and later attacked him in the paddock post-race.

Since the incident, Corberi has vowed to never race again but that decision may be taken out of his hands after the FIA confirmed it was pursuing a lifetime ban for the 23-year-old.

During a tribunal hearing, representatives of the governing body said that due to the severity of Corberi’s actions, a lifetime ban would be the most applicable punishment.

They claimed that several previous driver bans were of insufficient length and that due to the nature of the incident, a tougher punishment was necessary.

Race director during the 2020 event Pasquale Lupoli was a key witness and said that he had never seen anything like what occurred at the Lonato track.

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Asked to clarify its position by International Tribunal president Rui Botica Santos, the FIA confirmed its intentions in pursuing the strictest punishments possible.

It argued that Corberi’s actions were premeditated and due to this, warranted a more severe level of sanctions than the current suspension Corberi is serving.

Corberi’s defence argued that the incident that led to his crash out of the race had resulted in a trauma and that the adrenaline resulting from the incident equated to “motive” rather than “premeditation”.

Corberi’s representatives highlighted the pitlane fracas between Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard when the former confronted the Scot at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.

They argued that “great champion” Schumacher was ruled by adrenaline in a similar situation and that Corberi’s actions followed a similar pattern.

FIA representatives countered that Corberi had sat in the paddock prior to his second action, amounting to premeditation. It again highlighted in closing statements that other bans handed out by the courts were insufficient and that in such an extreme case as Corberi’s, an unprecedented sanction should be handed down.

A final decision on the case is expected to be made in the next two to three weeks.