Agustin Canapino and Juncos Hollinger Racing have decided to end their partnership. This decision comes after a year marked by controversy, which included Canapino taking a short break in June due to a social media issue.
The team announced this split on Wednesday through a post on X and their website. They praised Canapino for his move into open-wheel racing and his transition to the United States. JHR also expressed gratitude for his contributions.
The team said, “Both Agustin and the team have worked tirelessly to learn, grow, and succeed throughout his time at JHR and we are extremely proud of what we have achieved together.”
In June, Canapino stepped away from the team before a race at Road America in Wisconsin. This followed claims that rival driver Théo Pourchaire had received online death threats from Canapino’s fans after an on-track incident. Arrow McLaren Racing ended its technical and marketing partnership with JHR over the issue, with both sides condemning any form of abuse.
JHR stated at the time that they did not think Canapino was focused enough to race because of the situation, so they replaced him with rookie Nolan Siegel.
The incident occurred when Pourchaire made contact with Canapino’s No. 78 Chevy during a late restart at the Detroit Grand Prix. Both drivers continued in the race, though Pourchaire received a penalty for avoidable contact.
Pourchaire later claimed on social media that he had received death threats, but Canapino said he had not seen any such threats.
Former JHR teammate Callum Ilott had previously mentioned that Canapino’s passionate fans had made threatening comments during the last season. Ilott felt unsupported by the team regarding the online abuse and was let go at the end of that season.
