A 15-year-old racer from Russia racing in the FIA Karting European Championship has been dropped by his team and is under investigation by the sport’s governing body for appearing to perform the Nazi salute during podium celebrations in Portugal.

“The Federation Internationale de L’Automotibile [FIA] confirms that it has launched 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 posted to Twitter on Monday morning.

It also said it would communicate the further actions it will be taking regarding this case soon. The karter’s team, Ward Racing, will drop the driver in response to his actions.

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“Ward Racing is deeply in shame of the [driver]’s behavior which it condemns in the strongest possible terms,” the Swedish racing team wrote in a statement. “On the basis of these considerations, Ward Racing sees no possibility for continued cooperation with Artem Severyukhin [sic] and will proceed with terminating his racing contract.”

 

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In comments attributed to a spokesperson from the Russian automobile federation by Motorsport, the karter, who is racing under an Italian license to circumvent FIA’s ban of Russian drivers, said he was just thanking his team and his relatives from the podium.

“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 just thanked them. I am Russian, I am from Russia and I stand by my country,” he was quoted as saying.

Russia’s relationship with Nazism is particularly contentious at the moment. The country has attempted to justify its invasion of Ukraine by calling it a “de-Nazification” campaign, a claim that is seen merely as an excuse for Russian military actions.