Haas sacks Mazepin and drops Uralkali as sponsor
Haas has terminated the contract of both its Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and the title sponsorship of his father's Uralkali firm
Mazepin: not massively popular
Haas F1
Nikita Mazepin has been let go by Haas ahead of the 2022 Formula 1 season, as well as terminating its contract with the Russian Uralkali company.
“Haas F1 team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin,” the team said in a statement. “As with the rest of the Formula 1 community the team is shocked and saddened by by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”
Mazepin’s future as an F1 driver has been in doubt since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with father Dmitry linked to president Vladimir Putin through his Uralkali company, title sponsor of the Haas team.
The team removed its Uralkali sponsorship decals during pre-season testing in Barcelona as well as the Russian flag colours from its car following events in Ukraine.
The FIA reconfirmed that it was prepared to ban Russian and Belarusian drivers with the release of an announcement stating that drivers would now have to follow a new commitment scheme.
Though Mazepin appeared to adhere to each of the 10-point list published by the FIA, the team has confirmed that the Russian driver will not be racing this year.
Earlier this week, Motorsport UK confirmed that it was barring any Russian or Belarusian driver from competing in the United Kingdom as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.