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Police arrested former Formula 1 driver Antonio Pizzonia in Texas for attacking a man with a flying kick after he watched his son race on Saturday. The 45-year-old unleashed the bizarre attack in the pits of a junior race at the Speedsportz Racing Park in New Caney.

Footage shared on social media shows a man saying something and wagging his finger at Pizzonia’s son from behind a fence. The former Formula 1 driver then comes, literally, flying into the picture, planting a knee in the man’s side or back. Pizzonia then threw a punch at the man before he was separated.

Montgomery County Police released Antonio Pizzonia’s mugshot following his arrest, showing him wearing a black-and-grey striped jumpsuit. Authorities have since released him from custody.

Antonio Pizzonia issues a statement about his arrest

On Monday, he released a statement on Instagram explaining why he went after the other man at the event.

“Everyone, I’m okay, and I’m back at home,” Pizzonia wrote. “Indeed, there was an incident in which, today, I would have reacted in a different way.

“I felt at that moment that my son, a child, was being coerced by an adult, and instinctively I defended him. Thank you to everyone for your messages of support.”

Pizzonia’s son was competing in the 2026 Superkarts USA Winter Series in the X30 Junior category. He reportedly finished fourth in the Pre-Final of Round 1, but he did not compete in Round 2. He was then disqualified from the Final.

Antonio Pizzonia raced in Formula 1 from 2003 to 2005, making 20 starts for Williams and Jaguar. He also competed in the Champ Car World Series, the GP2 Series, and Stock Car Brasil. He also, at various times, raced in Superleague Formula, FIA GT1, Auto GP World Series, BOSS GP series, British Formula 3, and Formula 3000.

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MotorBiscuit Senior Editor

Doug Sheckler

Doug Sheckler is a Senior Editor at MotorBiscuit and BroBible. He began his professional career working for an auto racing sanctioning body, and subsequently founded his own racing series, which remains in operation today. He has since spent the better part of two decades creating, editing, and writing for a variety of websites.

These days, he has a special affinity for hypercars and other exotic vehicles that he will never own. He also enjoys delving into stories about the world of criminals, the more foolish and/or clever the better, and is always up for a good conspiracy theory. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Iowa.

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