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“Not everything depends on the team here”: Haas may be forced to drop Nikita Mazepin from the team with a Ferrari academy driver already rumored to replace him

Somin Bhattacharjee
Published

"I was just a teenager"– Nikita Mazepin tried to vindicate himself of video tape controversy which flared #MazepinOut demand by fans

Haas F1 team are reportedly removing Russian driver Nikita Mazepin from the team with several drivers in contention to replace him.  

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to worldwide outrage, with several governments and organizations imposing economic sanctions on the former.

Haas have Uralkali as their title sponsor with Russian oligarch Dimitri Mazepin being a majority shareholder of the company. After his country launched an offensive inside Ukrainian territory yesterday and started a war, Haas removed all Uralkali branding from their paddock buildings and cars.

Nothing official has been announced regarding their future. But considering the fact that Haas is owned by Gene Haas, who’s American and operates out of Kannapolis, it’s probable that the Russian fertilizer company will be dropped from F1 altogether.

This puts Nikita Mazepin in a tough place. The 22-year old landed himself a seat in the American team after his father’s investment in the outfit. Now that Uralkali are almost out of the door, Mazepin’s position within the team is under threat.

On his social media account, Mazepin posted a message that said, “I’m not in control of what’s being said and done”. This was said in reference to the war that his country started by invading Ukraine on Thursday.

Also read: Jamie Chadwick cites funding problems as the reason behind her return to W-Series despite winning the Championship twice

Antonio Giovinazzi rumored to be replacing Nikita Mazepin if the former is shown the door

Mazepin went on to say that he’s committed to giving his best for Haas. The Moscow born driver urged his fans and followers to understand the situation he’s in but didn’t give any guarantees that he would be in F1 for the remainder of the year.

Team principal Guenther Steiner spoke to the media on the third day of pre-season testing about the situation within his team as of now. “Not everything depends on us here. There are governments involved,” he said.

“And I have no power over them. I think we need to see also the situation and how it develops in Ukraine.” He then insisted that the team won’t make any hasty decisions regarding their future.

“I am not going to do it (talk about Mazepin or Uralkali) today. We made the decision yesterday with our team partners that (removing the Uralkali branding) is what we’re going to do,” he concluded.

If Mazepin does end up leaving Haas, the likes of Antonio Giovinazzi, Pietro Fittipaldi and Kevin Magnussen are rumored to replace him.

Also read: Daniel Ricciardo thinks Mercedes and Red Bull are keeping their pace a secret

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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