Former F1 racer Antonio Pizzonia spent time in jail on assault charges during kart race weekend, as he feels on hindsight he would have reacted differently.
American tabloid TMZ reported first about Pizzonia spending time in jail last weekend on assault charges, where it shared a mugshot of the Brazilian from Texas police. They did not share details of the incident, but informed that the incident took place during a kart race weekend.
His son Antonio Pizzonia Neto was competing in the 2026 Superkarts! USA Winter Series in the X30 Junior category. The Brazilian accompanied him for the race, where he finished fourth in Pre-Final in Round 1 on January 9. He finished the Final, but was disqualified from the results.
The incident likely took place post the first round, where videos showcased a kick by Pizzonia on an unknown person. Subsequently, Neto did not compete in Round 2 on January 11. The 45-year-old did not divulge the reasons, but noted about being safe and at home.
He agreed that he would have reacted differently in hindsight, but it looks like the assault was in defence of his son against the said person. “Guys, I am fine,” wrote Pizzonia on social media. “I’m at home. That was actually one episode of which I would have reacted differently today.
“I understood at that moment that my son, a child, was being coerced by another adult and instinctively defended him. Thank you everyone for the messages of support,” he rounded off. Pizzonia has raced for Jaguar and Williams in F1 back in 2022 and 2005. Post that, he has competed in Champ Car World Series, Superleague Formula, Brazilian Stock Cars, FIA GT1 World Championship and most recently in BOSS GP.
