Charges against Kiwi race driver and team co-owner Will Bamber have been formally dropped following confirmation earlier today.
It is a bizarre twist in the Porsche pilot’s legal case; Bamber having claimed the case had been closed prior to today’s announcement.
News of his arrest only surfaced this week. It resulted in the split between Earl Bamber Motorsport and Hardpoint Racing.
The two parties worked together in North America, competing in the IMSA and Porsche Carrera Cup series.
In an interview with Sportscar365 on Tuesday, Bamber asserted his arrest was “a misunderstanding” and “all charges were dropped.”
However, it appears the case was actually still open.
According to reports, Bamber appeared in court on September 29 and pleaded not guilty to his domestic battery charges.
The victim of the claims was Bamber’s girlfriend, Sarah Serle.
Florida’s State Attorney of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, R.J Larizza, has now formally dropped the case and the charges against Bamber. That motion was also filed on September 29.
Earlier today, Bamber and Serle published identical photos on social media: a photo of the pairing with a heart as the caption.
“I have never, nor will I ever hurt someone, especially Sarah, and I can’t wait to move on with our lives,” Bamber told Racer.
Serle added that she was never a victim of domestic abuse, emphasising Bamber’s claims of a misunderstanding.
“Will has never been an abuser and has never acted in that manner towards me,” Serle said. “Will is one of the nicest and kindest people I have ever met.
“I do not condone domestic violence, nor have I been a victim of such.”
EBM and Hardpoint were allegedly on shaky terms over sponsorship issues before Bamber’s arrest.