NASCAR Cup Series

Sutil faces legal action over alleged assault

Published May. 16, 2011 11:42 p.m. ET

foxsports

Renault owner Eric Lux plans to file a criminal complaint against Force India driver Adrian Sutil for assault following an incident in Shanghai.

A lawyer for Lux said in a statement on Monday that Lux will sue the German driver for ''for physical assault and grievous bodily harm'' over a reported nightclub incident last month following the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix.

Without going into detail about what happened, the 28-year-old Sutil issued an apology in a statement to German media last week, and said his actions were accidental.

''At this event, that I attended as a private individual, there was a very unfortunate action on my part in which I completely inadvertently injured another person,'' Sutil said in an official statement.

''I very much regret this incident and have already apologized accordingly.''

Lux's lawyer, Dr. Marc Henzelin from Swiss-based Lalive law firm, said that Formula One's governing body FIA and Force India will be notified once the complaint has been filed.

Henzelin gave no details about the incident but added that Lux ''does not exclude an action against any other persons involved in this matter.''