“Uncertainty for Haas F1 team”- Who is the owner of the Haas as the team removes Russian partner Uralkali’s branding from car?

Following the globally criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Haas F1 team removed the branding of its Russian title sponsors.

Haas F1 team decided to remove the branding of its Russian title sponsor – Uralkali. The team will run an all-white livery on the final day of the Barcelona test.

Haas joined hands with the Russian company Uralkali in 2021. The team also signed the company’s owner Dmitry Mazepin’s son Nikita as their driver in an effort to safeguard the future of the team.

However, following recent developments, there have been concerns that the team might get vulnerable if its title sponsorship deal is seriously at risk.

The possibility of sanctions from the US, UK and the EU could get the team into trouble. Even if Uralkali somehow manages to avoid the sanctions,  it is possible that making payments to Haas will be difficult.

However, F1 journalist Scott Mitchell pointed out that either way Haas’s future is not thought to be at risk.

He explained that Haas signed a deal with the Russian company to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. And even though the funding from the company is important for the team, it is only a minority backer.

He said, “Haas might realistically plug any gap that could emerge. It could be either with new sponsors, direct funding from owner Gene Haas, or a combination of the two.”

Also Read: Russian-backed Haas F1 team has pulled team principal Guenther Steiner out of the press conference in Barcelona amid Russia-Ukraine conflict

Nikita Mazepin’s seat might become available at Haas

As Nikita Mazepin is the son of the owner of the Uralkali team, it is possible that any difficulty in funding might cause trouble for his career. However, Mazepin will face his own logistical concerns.

The race journalist also pointed out that a long-term threat looms over the head of Mazepin. Given the possibility of visa bans being imposed on Russian citizens, it is possible that he might not be available for the team.

Most of the countries in the 2022 race calendar require Russian citizens to have a visa. The only exceptions to this are Azerbaijan, Brazil and UAE. However, it is yet to be looked at properly in the coming days.

Moreover, if Mazepin’s seat becomes available, Haas will almost certainly find candidates willing and available who could bring some money as well.

Also Read: Max Verstappen becomes the latest F1 driver to speak out against racing in Russia after Sebastian Vettel