Nikita Mazepin questions F1 ‘values’ and explains a potential return
Mazepin was sacked by Haas following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Nikita Mazepin has questioned the ‘values’ of Formula One while discussing a potential return to the sport.
The Russian’s position became increasingly uncertain following his country’s continued invasion of Ukraine, even after the FIA ruled that the 23-year-old would be allowed to continue racing under a neutral flag.
Mazepin’s father, Dmitry, a Russian oligarch who is the majority shareholder in chemical company Uralchem and one of Haas’ major sponsors, was pictured with Vladimir Putin as recently as January.
Haas removed Uralkali branding from its car during pre-season testing in Barcelona as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerated and the team then confirmed they had terminated its contract with Mazepin and the company.
Opening up about the situation, Mazepin told Motorsport.com: “Everybody has a right to speak or not to speak and the FIA, the highest governing body, has enabled me to compete as long as I’m neutral.
“But I would say the biggest issue here is coming back to the sport where teams are allowed to be keeping sponsorship money without fulfilling the contract. And even asking for more, even though they say they don’t want money from Russia. So I’m not sure, but the sport’s values need to be evaluated for me after this.”
When asked if he will return to F1, he then went on to add: “It’s difficult to say at this moment in time, because I’m very wary that my issue is that I’ve lost a job.
“I was trying to get to F1 for 17 years and then I eventually got there. But it’s a very minor issue if you compare to the big things that are going on in the world right now.
“Of course, I would love to get back to the sport. I feel that I’ve got a lot of unfinished business there. But I need to wait until things cool down. And I don’t even know who I can get back to because, you know, Haas has obviously done what they did with playing not the cleanest game, in my opinion. But it’s different for me.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments