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Motorsport
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Sport
Andrew van Leeuwen

Ryan apologises for outburst, hits out at bullies

Ryan landed in hot water following Saturday night's Supercars race in Sydney thanks to an expletive-laden outburst on live TV.

The outburst was prompted by Shane van Gisbergen's forceful pass on Erebus driver Will Brown on the final lap of the race.

Van Gisbergen was penalised for the pass and Brown reinstated to third, something Ryan wasn't aware of when he swore repeatedly on the broadcast.

He copped a $5000 fine, half of which is suspended, and a community service order for his actions.

Having already warned that he may think twice about heat-of-the-moment TV interviews, Ryan has now penned an open letter apologising for his language.

The letter also addresses online bullying and 'appalling' messages sent to Brown and Erebus regarding the race.

Barry Ryan's letter in full

To all our fans, both of Erebus and motorsport,

I am writing to apologise for my regrettable language during the post-race interview after Race 18 at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday night.

In the heat of the moment, whilst we had secured the win with Brodie [Kostecki], we desperately wanted to make sure we beat our main competitors for the championship with both cars. However, I realise that my outburst was uncalled for and in future I will try to respond more carefully. My passion will never waver, though I want to apologise for the language used and the distress it may have caused.

I want to acknowledge the decision made by Motorsport Australia officials regarding the penalty for the bump-and-run on Will. It is evident that such actions, involving front-to-rear contact to gain an advantage, are unacceptable in any form of motorsport, including NASCAR. The side-by-side racing with other cars in the closing stages was remarkable, and I commend the drivers on their ability to race like that whilst still racing cleanly and fairly.

Lastly, I would like to address the concerning issue of online bullying. While I personally choose not to be on social media, I am appalled by some of the messages I have seen directed at our team, Will, and myself. Will did nothing to deserve the hate he received online. No one deserves to be subjected to abuse and unfair treatment, especially from the anonymity of the online world. We understand these comments also come from passion, though we need to be more considerate, not just towards each other, but also to our families and friends who read the comments.

Our team is fully committed to winning the team’s and driver’s championships, and nothing is going to stop us from pursuing those goals.

Thank you to our fans for their continuous support, bring on the rest of the year!

Baz

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