ROME, Apr 12 The Automobile Club of Italy (ACI) has decided immediately to revoke the sports license of Russian racer Artem Severyukhin, who publicly used a gesture resembling a Nazi salute, the ACI press service said on Tuesday. FIA) under the Italian flag, used the «Roman salute» gesture (hit his chest and extended his right arm forward). Severyukhin later stated that he wanted to thank the team and his relatives from Russia in this way, and also said that he was «guilty, he knows that he is stupid, and he is ready to be punished», adding that in his gesture «there was no support for Nazism or fascism, there was no desire to offend the spectators, the drivers and the team.» «While an extraordinary meeting of the Sports Junta of the Automobile Club of Italy, convened to take urgent action due to the unthinkable and unacceptable act of the Russian kart driver Artem Severyukhin on the podium of the European youth karting race in Portimão (Portugal), is still ongoing, it became known that the above-mentioned junta decided to immediately revoke Severyukhin's sports license and at the same time transfer it to the sports justice so that it could determine further sanctions related to its competence,» the ACI said in a statement received by .ACI called such a decision » inevitable», since the Russian athlete with his gesture «showed disrespect not not only to the shared values that have always inspired every sport, but also to humanity, dignity and civic coexistence.»
