Russian driver Nikita Mazepin said he was “deeply disappointed” to be ousted by Formula 1 team Haas on Saturday over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and hinted he could take action over “this unilateral move”. The 23-year-old had been looking forward to a second season with the US team – he failed to book a point in the 2021 season – but Haas announced on Saturday that they had canceled his contract and that of Russian title sponsor Uralkali. Uralkali, a group specializing in potash, has Mazepin’s father, Dmitry Mazepin, as its non-executive director.
“The Haas F1 team has chosen to terminate Uralkali’s title partnership and Nikita Mazepin’s driver contract with immediate effect,” the US team said in a statement on its website.
“Like the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”
Mazepin said he was prepared to abide by the ruling by the FIA’s governing body last Tuesday that Russian drivers should drive under the FIA flag and in a “neutral capacity”.
“I am very disappointed to hear that my F1 contract has ended,” he wrote on Instagram.
“While I understand the difficulties, the FIA’s ruling plus my continued willingness to allow the proposed conditions to go through were completely ignored and no trial was involved in this unilateral move.
“I’ll have more to say in the coming days.”
The writing appeared to be on the wall for both Mazepin and Uralkali last Friday.
Haas dropped the Uralkali branding from their cars on the final day of pre-season testing in Barcelona and team boss Guenther Steiner had said they were “financially OK” at the time.
Haas’ decision follows the announcement by Formula One championship promoters on Thursday that they had terminated a contract with the organizers of the Russian Grand Prix.
promoted
The Black Sea resort of Sochi has hosted the race since the inaugural race in 2014, but St Petersburg is set to replace it as a venue in 2023.
“Formula 1 can confirm that it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter, meaning Russia will not have a race in the future,” Formula 1 said in a statement.
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