Adrian Sutil

Just noticed that this German doesn't have his own thread and thought it was about time he did.

Sutil began his F1 career back in 2007, entering F1 in the same year that Lewis Hamilton did.

Sutil has remained with the same team (only under different names) throughout his time in F1 so far. Since his F1 debut Adrian has competed in 84 races collecting 77 points in. Sutil unbelievable has a fastest racing lap to his name aswell!

Sutil to me has always been one of those constant midfield runners who will score a point or two when he's on top of his game. But i'm really struggling to see him step up to another level of racing team as there's a lot of driver out their better than him. Other than Force India where could he actually go to?

 

[sportsman]

I would say that the sentence was more than fair.Thank God some countries still give sentences that punish this kind of behaviour.
Bit more like this in the UK would deter the usual weekend violence so prevelant in the UK.
Here he would have got got twelve months for that.Not suspended either.

 

[GeoffP]

On balance I agree with Rasputin, GBH is a serious crime and suspended sentences should be longer than the equivalent incarceration.

Also on the money, I agree it will be a drop in the ocean for him.

But not only that, this wasn't a random gathering from the local boozer or the student's union - this was a small group from what is meant to be a close knit travelling circus. That means it was either a friend he did this to, or someone he knew he had a problem with and so should have known better than to let his guard down around booze.

I did have a lot of time for Sutil, but this has demonstrated a very foolish streak that may well cost him his career in F1 - Not a good result for a bright young man!

 

[Greenlantern101]

Suspended sentence is a joke. If I have been a victim of GBH I would expect the guilty party to go to jail.

F1 is better off without thugs, It used to be a sport for gentlemen. Good riddance.

 

[Josh]

Calling someone a thug after doing something stupid while drunk is a bit excessive imo.

Sentence is fine though, I think he had already apologized as well.

 

[sushifiesta]

Fair enough, the fine might be proportional but I'm assuming Sutil doesn't have any previous convictions, it was supposedly accidental, the injuries were fairly minor and from what I can see he was quick to apologize. To me it sounds like the sort of thing that happens in a pub/club on a fairly regular basis in the heat of the moment, and without being punished in court.

It's definitely no way to act, but if I turn your argument about money on it's head I think the fact that Lux has the money to be able to pay a good lawyer has a lot to do with the scale of the punishment.

I'm not really sure why I'm defending Sutil though, I think I was just surprised by the 18 month sentence but I guess I should remember that it is suspended after all...

P.S. I'm not so sure €200,000 is a small amount of money for Sutil. I have no idea what he earns in total but a quick google search shows me that his 2010 salary was in fact €200,000 euros. This probably doesn't include bonuses, sponsorship etc. though.

 

[RasputinLives]

Fair enough, the fine might be proportional but I'm assuming Sutil doesn't have any previous convictions, it was supposedly accidental, the injuries were fairly minor and from what I can see he was quick to apologize. To me it sounds like the sort of thing that happens in a pub/club on a fairly regular basis in the heat of the moment, and without being punished in court.

It's definitely no way to act, but if I turn your argument about money on it's head I think the fact that Lux has the money to be able to pay a good lawyer has a lot to do with the scale of the punishment.

I'm not really sure why I'm defending Sutil though, I think I was just surprised by the 18 month sentence but I guess I should remember that it is suspended after all...

P.S. I'm not so sure €200,000 is a small amount of money for Sutil. I have no idea what he earns in total but a quick google search shows me that his 2010 salary was in fact €200,000 euros. This probably doesn't include bonuses, sponsorship etc. though.

Eric Lux had to have 24 stiches after the incident. Now I've done my fair share of drinking in rowdy pubs and clubs and I've never had to have one stich in my entire life nor have I ever managed to somehow injure someone to the point where they need one - nor have any of my friends or my friends friends so lets not justfy this as 'one of those things' - 'one of those things' that happen 'on a reg basis' cost the British taxpayer milions and divert police attention away from what they should really be doing. Maybe 18 months and a massive fine for all that lot would mean it wouldn't happen at all which can only be a good thing.

As for Lux having to have money to get the sentence served - isn't it horrible that we live in a world where only the rich could afford justice

Calling someone a thug after doing something stupid while drunk is a bit excessive imo.

Again thousands of people do very stupid things when drunk - for instance as part of a group of Students in Aberystwyth whilst very drunk I decided to jump in the sea and nearly bloody drowned myself - thats stupid. However once again I shall state the fact that whilst drunk I have never, nor do I know anyone who has glassed anyone/injured/assaulted anyone. Drink can not be used as an excuse - so in this case I think the word 'thug' is justifiable. I commend Mr Sutil for apologising and hopes he means it but I do not feel sorry for him. He made his own bed now he must lay in it.

 

[Brogan]

Some are claiming the verdict is unfair as CCTV shows Sutil being attacked and all he did was defend himself - he just happened to have a glass in his hand at the time.

I can't comment as I haven't seen it.

 

[Josh]

Yeah according to this it was purely accidental and he was defending himself: http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-adrian-sutil-found-guilty-in-german-court/

 

[RasputinLives]

Sorry guys I have to go with the German Court over SpeedTV.com. If I went with what a website told me over a national court system I'd end up believing all sorts of things

 

[Josh]

Sorry guys I have to go with the German Court over SpeedTV.com. If I went with what a website told me over a national court system I'd end up believing all sorts of things

Yeah I don't really buy it either (how can you forget you have a glass in your hand?) but I figured I'd post it anyway.

 

[sushifiesta]

If that story is true then it is plausible. If I was pushed over/about to slip over I can imagine myself trying to grab at whatever the nearest thing is with both hands, even if one had a glass in it. Either that or flailing my hands around in a comical fashion...

I must admit I wasn't aware that he needed 24 stitches, I knew he needed stitches but not that many. I'm inclined to think Sutil is a nice guy* and that this was out of character though, which makes me think there might be some truth in the self-defense story.

I think I'll leave it at that for posts about this. I stand by my opinion that the sentence is a bit harsh, but I think I'm in the minority and I understand the arguments for it.

* Based on how he acts during F1 weekends, with the media etc. Not the most reliable info I know...

 

[laFrau]

What the German press (sport press and normal press) is reporting is that the footage had too low quality to see anything properly and couldn't be used to make a decision.
Sutil explained that when, during the discussion, Lux came too close to him, he felt threatened and pushed him back not even noticing he was holding the glass in his hand.
The prosecutor seems to accept Lux came too close but said Sutil had hit not pushed. That makes a big difference in what Sutil could be accused of.
The judge decided to accept the prosecutor's theory because of a report from an expert that stated the angle of the glass getting into Lux's neck was compatible with the hit theory and not the push one.

In order to choose Sutil's sentence, the judge took into consideration that Sutil is an sportsman and should be a model for others (that played against Sutil). The reasons the judge gives to let the sentence suspended, even if it's over a one-year sentence, are: a) Sutil has no criminal record and b) he has already lost his job for 2012 because of that.
The 200K fine is calculated according to Sutil's income, in Germany is typical to become a fine equal to x-days salary.

Most of the information can be found here: http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...terin-spricht-f1-fahrer-schuldig-4367057.html
There is also a very good article on the issue published yesterday by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

 

[Jen]

So Lux wasn't the only one that was stitched up then?

 

[Il_leone]

Sutil's F1 career is over I think I don't see any decent drives for him left and as feared he has become the new Nick Heidfeld in all honesty

There are far too many young drivers on the grid and at 29 its going be to difficult for him to find a seat in the future - all the teams have got their 3rd drivers as well confirmed

the only way we will see Adrian is if someone like Kimi has a truly shocking series of races and gets dropped which won't happen

 

[EvilWhippet]

WHAT!?
Say Gaz, a hypothetical, unemployed bloke in a tracksuit cuts somebody's throat in a local nightclub you think he gets a suspended sentence and a fine? Hell to the no!

 

[Galahad]

A former acquaintance of mine did something extremely similar to this in a pub in London, and despite previous good character and expressions of regret was imprisoned for six months.

He wasn't a racing driver.

 

[EvilWhippet]

I should say I pressed like out of support for the opinion I think it supported, not because your friend went prison.

 

[Galahad]

I should say I pressed like out of support for the opinion I think it supported, not because your friend went prison.

Not my friend, someone I knew.

 

[Brogan]

Looks like Sutil and Hamilton are no longer friends: http://www.planetf1.com/driver/3213/7471622/Sutil-Lewis-is-a-coward

Then again, it is from Planet F1, quoting Bild

 

[RasputinLives]

Oh dear Adrian has realised all that sucking up is for nothing - the superstar will let you ride his coat tails as long as you like if your nice and polite about it all but the moment you do someone that reflects bad on him he'll kick you to the curb.

Not that I blame him. If I had a mate who suddenly glassed someone out of nowhere I'd prob have to have a little bit of think as to whether this is someone I really want to spend my time with. Doesn;t make him a 'coward' or 'not a man' Adrian just makes him a moral human being.