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Formula 1 mourning the death of a legend 0:44
(CNN Spanish) - The now-former Ganassi Racing driver was fired from the NASCAR team, after starring in an incident during a virtual tournament in which he uttered a racial slur.
Nascar had initially suspended him indefinitely as did the team, but eventually Larson was fired by the Chip Ganassi team.
"After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that his relationship with driver Kyle Larson will end. As we said earlier, Kyle's comments were offensive and unacceptable, especially given the values of our organization. As we continued to assess the situation with all relevant parties, it became clear that this was the only appropriate course of action to take. ”
Sponsor withdrawal
Larson's dismissal is not only due to a team response to a lack of unacceptable behavior. Business relations were severely affected by the immediate withdrawal of two major sponsors.
They are the McDonald's fast food chain and the Credit One Bank, companies that condemned the act.
McDonald's in a statement to CNN reiterated the rejection of the pilot's behavior and declared his severing of any commercial ties.
“We are extremely disappointed and horrified to hear about this incident. Comments made by Kyle Larson are callous, offensive and do not reflect our inclusive values and will not be tolerated. McDonald's is taking immediate steps to end the relationship with Larson. " - McDonald's USA.
Meanwhile, Credit One Bank said on its Twitter account that it joins the actions taken by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing and ends the sponsorship with Kyle Larson.
The action that condemned Larson and his apology
During the virtual race, Larson seemed to have lost communication and spoke with an insult to the black community. A person who was also participating in the race told him that his comments were heard by everyone.
In a video posted to Twitter, Larson apologized.
"I just want to say I'm sorry. Last night I made a mistake and said the word never, should never be said. There is no excuse for that. They didn't raise me that way. It is a horrible thing. I say I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the black community. I understand that the damage is probably irreparable and I acknowledge it. But I just want to let everyone know how sorry I am. ”
pic.twitter.com/RPsp7ARIea
- Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) April 13, 2020
The 27-year-old, who was driving Ganassi Racing's No. 42 car, has won six valid in his career and has qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs in the past four seasons. Last year, he finished sixth in the overall standings.
On the verge of becoming a free agent, he was one of the most coveted drivers in the class and with a promising future.
Larson, whose mother is Japanese-American, graduated from Nascar's "Drive for Diversity" program, which, according to her website, "provides opportunities for women and minorities to pursue career opportunities in NASCAR." In 2016, he was the first person of Japanese descent to win a race in the most popular category of American motorsports.
The Nascar in a statement condemned the pilot's attitude.
"Nascar has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during the iRacing event on Sunday. Our member behavior policies are clear in this regard and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base. ”
Kyle LarsonNASCARRacism