Adrian Sutil’s dispute with Eric Lux is now formally over, after the former Force India driver withdrew the appeal against his assault conviction.

In late January, the German was found guilty of grievous bodily harm following a Shanghai nightclub incident that occurred early last year, and was handed a suspended 18-month jail term and EUR 200,000 fine.

Sutil’s lawyers immediately filed an appeal against the Munich court’s penalty, prompting the prosecution to do the same.

But Bild-Zeitung reports that the 29-year-old has now withdrawn that appeal, the German newspaper adding that the prosecution followed suit.

“I am very happy that I have been able to express myself to Eric Lux and don’t have to go to court again.

“I don’t want to have to go through another year like the one past.

“The topic is finished and I want to resume doing what I do best as quickly as possible — racing in formula one,” said Sutil.

Bild said Sutil’s FIA superlicense is not affected by his criminal conviction or his accepting of the sentence.

“We are very pleased that Eric Lux and Adrian have spoken and the topic is now closed,” said his manager Manfred Zimmermann.

“From now on we will concentrate only on the sport and do everything to get Adrian back in formula one.”

Eric Lux has revealed he has forgiven Adrian Sutil for injuring him in a Shanghai nightclub a year ago.
Former Force India driver Sutil received a German criminal conviction and suspended sentence for the incident involving a broken champagne glass, and has been left without a seat on the 2012 grid.

“I forgive Sutil,” Lux, a Lotus team executive, told Bild newspaper in Malaysia.

“I would even be happy for him if he came back to race and had a job to do. For me, everything is past; I don’t have emotions about it anymore,” the Luxembourger added.

Lux still bears a sizeable scar on his neck.

“Whether the penalty was too much or not enough is not up to me,” he continued.

“But if it had been one centimetre different, he would be spending the next 20 years in prison in China,” added Lux.

Felipe Massa’s Ferrari seat is a big talking point in the Sepang paddock on Thursday.
Following a dire performance in Australia for the Brazilian, the Italian press has named Sergio Perez, Adrian Sutil and even Jarno Trulli as possible candidates to immediately oust Massa.

Mexican Perez, the cream of Ferrari’s development programme and already at Ferrari-powered Sauber, said in Malaysia: “It’s very early to say that or speculate.”

Very keen for a chance like this, however, is Force India refugee Sutil, who has been left without a job in the wake of his criminal conviction.

“I am very motivated and I’m training hard to stay fit,” the German is quoted on Thursday by Auto Bild Motorsport.

All eyes will be on Massa this weekend, as Ferrari has agreed to build him up a new F2012 chassis in the wake of his lacklustre performance in Melbourne.

“I really don’t care,” he said in reaction to the rumours, “I have a job.”

 At the very end of last season, Adrian Sutil had four options to stay in formula one in 2012.
That is the claim of the German driver’s manager Manfred Zimmermann, who has so far failed to secure Sutil a race seat for the forthcoming season after his five consecutive years with Force India.

“We will fight to stay in formula one and we’re still hoping to get a seat for 2012 — even if it is in the course of the season,” he told the Sport Bild magazine.

He played down the impact of the 29-year-old’s grievous bodily harm conviction, insisting there has been “encouragement and support from all sides”.

Zimmermann said that at the very end of last season, Sutil was juggling four concrete options for 2012 that ultimately “slipped like soap” through their fingers.

“Unfortunately in formula one, money is always important,” he explained. “It simply didn’t work out in the end.”

As for the role the assault charge played, Zimmermann conceded: “I can’t really judge.”

However, for Sutil’s career, all is not lost.

“We have had enquiries in the past days from several series such as Indycar and touring cars. In America Adrian is a very highly regarded driver.”

 McLaren has once again stepped in to prevent Lewis Hamilton from answering a reporter’s question about the Adrian Sutil affair.
At the recent launch of the MP4-27 car, a reporter asked Hamilton about his former friend Sutil’s accusation he is a “coward” for not appearing as a witness at the recent assault trial in Munich.

“We’ve been told that Lewis shouldn’t really go there because it (the conviction) might go under appeal,” the spokesman quickly intervened.

Hamilton smiled: “I’ll listen to him.”

The Briton’s former F3 teammate did indeed file an appeal, but not before Sutil’s father Jorge described Hamilton as “pathetic” in the German press.

Asked about the latest insult from the Sutil camp, Hamilton was once again prevented from answering in the Jerez paddock by a McLaren media minder.

“That question is not permitted,” the spokesman is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport.

The German magazine article read: “We say that Hamilton should have the courage to speak for himself.”

In other courtside F1 news, former Benetton driver JJ Lehto’s attempt to appeal his prison sentence for manslaughter got off to a dismal start, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports.

Finn Lehto’s lawyer reportedly appeared in court to file the appeal but was “immediately arrested himself, apparently because of money laundering”.

Adrian Sutil is facing a EUR 10 million damages claim by Genii chief executive Eric Lux, according to a media report.
It emerged last week that, following news the Force India driver assaulted Lux with a broken champagne glass in a Shanghai nightclub recently, Sutil could be headed for court.

Italiaracing said Lux needed 24 stitches in his neck and is seeking the multi-million euro compensation.

The French website sport24.com also said Lux will file a complaint about the German with the governing FIA, with his lawyers to announce the action perhaps as soon as Monday.

The report said Sutil’s F1 super license could be at risk in the event of a civil conviction, although German newspaper Bild said neither the FIA nor Bernie Ecclestone are investigating the matter.

Gian Carlo Minardi criticized after the double failure in Korea Red Bull and Ferrari in Brazil see clearly again.
Gian Carlo Minardi is the firm conviction that the events in Korea, Red Bull should consider the move. “With a reasonable strategy Webber team would lead the championship is still at least not such a big gap to the top who” is aware of the Italians. He believes that Ferrari will assume the role as favorite in Brazil and Red Bull in Abu Dhabi. Minardi says: “. Mistakes and mishaps can happen anytime the beginning, it took Ferrari, Hamilton, and then last Sunday just meets Red Bull is all.”

This is not least because the engine, transmission and Co. are brought to their absolute limit. The last two races will show who was badly shattered better. Minardi review in his column on 422race.com: “That’s why I found the strategy of Red Bull crazy because they are forced to repair the damage of both drivers again.”
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Lewis Hamilton swerved a conviction but not a $500 fine after a court hearing in Melbourne on Tuesday.

The 2008 world champion, who did not travel to Australia for the hearing, was arrested, charged and summonsed for driving dangerously near the Albert Park circuit during March’s grand prix weekend.

He was represented by a lawyer in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, who pleaded guilty on the 25-year-old Briton’s behalf.

Lawyer Sandip Mukerjea said the McLaren driver, who addressed two letters to the court, suffered “embarrassment, humiliation and distress” over the incident due to the widespread media coverage.

In one of the letters, Hamilton said the incident was due to a “momentary lapse of judgement” that had caused “immense” publicity that was a “form of punishment”.

He also insisted that he was “in control of the car at all times”.

His lawyer asked that a conviction not be recorded because it may impede Hamilton’s ability to travel internationally.

The FIA also provided the court with a character reference.

The magistrate said Hamilton escaped conviction because it was his first offense, but “this is about somebody in a responsible position behaving like a hoon”.

“It doesn’t show the general application of the level of responsibility and maturity that he must use every day on the race track,” added magistrate Clive Alsop.