Unlike other teams, Haas could not leave the Zandvoort Circuit after Sunday’s Dutch GP. The American outfit was prevented from leaving The Netherlands with their assets until former sponsor Uralkali gave them the green light.
F1 journalist Luke Smith revealed that the team had packed up, and was ready to leave the premises. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter),
“Update on the Haas situation: the team’s trucks won’t be leaving Zandvoort tonight as it awaits confirmation of receipt of payment from Uralkali tomorrow after sending it on Friday.”
Update on the Haas situation: the team’s trucks won’t be leaving Zandvoort tonight as it awaits confirmation of receipt of payment from Uralkali tomorrow after sending it on Friday. The team will pack up as normal tonight and await the green light to leave #F1 #DutchGP
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) August 25, 2024
The situation stemmed from an earlier ruling by a Swiss arbitral tribunal, which ordered Haas to refund part of the sponsorship amount— approximately $9 million. Sources state that Haas received this money from Uralkali ahead of the 2022 season before their agreement was terminated abruptly. The ruling also stipulated that the team had to hand over its 2021 car to the Russian company.
Uralkali had been pursuing Haas for several months without receiving any compensation. They filed with Dutch authorities to seize the team’s assets, and Haas has now processed the payment. The team will be permitted to leave the track only when Uralkali confirms they have received the money.
An official statement highlighted that the payment was processed through the Middle East to comply with the sanctions placed on Russian companies due to the war in Ukraine. It read,
“Haas has been working with its lawyers to ensure payment will comply with all relevant US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions and regulations.”
Preventing Haas from leaving Zandvoort could have consequences for their participation in the 2024 Italian GP, which is scheduled to take place next week in Monza. A logistical delay could pose problems for their arrival in the paddock and affect preparations for the weekend.
Once Uralkali withdraws its request for the seizure of Haas’ assets with the Dutch judicial authorities, Haas can officially leave. The process will likely begin on Monday, but it could take some time before the Kannapolis-based team embarks on its journey to Italy.
