Force India has said it was committed to field Adrian Sutil in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix despite a possible criminal complaint against the driver in the wake of his reported altercation with Renault owner Eric Lux.
Lux has threatened to file a complaint against Sutil for physically assaulting him in a night club in Shanghai after the Chinese Grand Prix, last month.
“Force India Formula One Team is aware of the statements made by both its driver, Adrian Sutil, and Mr Eric Lux of Genii Capital, pertaining to events following the Chinese Grand Prix.
“Although the team continues to monitor the situation, it remains fully committed to its driver line-up at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix,” Force India said in a statement.
Lux, one of the owners of the Renault F1 team, had issued a statement on Monday after a showdown with Sutil at the M1nt private club in Shanghai.
Lux was apparently injured by a broken champagne glass and a wound to the neck required 24 stitches, according to an Italian website.
The background of the altercation is not known yet but Sutil has maintained that Lux’s injuries occurred by accident and he did not deliberately wound him.
The last time an incident like this occurred was when Belgian driver Bertrand Gachot was found guilty in a London court of assaulting a taxi driver in 1991 and was prevented from attending the Grand Prix of Belgium.
In the event of a civil conviction, Sutil’s F1 super license could be at risk and he could temporarily lose his job with the team. Prior to this civil court judgement, neither the FIA nor Bernie Ecclestone are investigating the matter.
