In a ruling issued on Wednesday, the EU said it could not justify keeping the former Haas driver on a list of people on whom sanctions were imposed following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
At the time, Mazepin and his father Dmitry were identified as subject to restrictive measures, including the freezing of funds and a ban on entering the territory of Member States.
The decision came shortly after Mazepin was fired from the Haas team on the eve of the 2022 season, when the American-owned team announced the termination of his driver contract and that of his financier and team sponsor, Uralkali, due to invasion.
Mazepin, who has since returned to racing in the Asian Le Mans Series, had long lobbied to be removed from sanctions lists around the world, but to no avail.
However, the EU has now changed its position and stated that the Russian should be so, as there is no evidence of ties to his father beyond family ones.
Furthermore, although his father's Uralkali company had sponsored his racing activities previously, its support was no longer an important factor since he lost his job at Haas.
Nikita Mazepin, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
In a statement released by the Court, it argued that it was a mistake to place Mazepin on the sanctions list simply because of the association with his father.
The Court stated that: “The Court recalls that the 'association' criterion, applied in respect of Mr. Nikita Mazepin, concerns persons who are, in general, linked by common interests.”
“According to consolidated jurisprudence, this criterion implies the existence of a bond that goes beyond a family relationship, established in light of a set of sufficiently specific, precise and coherent indications”.
“In the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal finds that the Council has not discharged the burden of proof to establish such a link. The association between Mr. Nikita Mazepin and his father is in no way established from an economic or patrimonial perspective or by the existence of common interests that bind them at the time of the adoption of the maintenance acts”.
Mazepin welcomed the decision, although it is thought unlikely to change anything concrete in his bid to return to F1.
“I am extremely encouraged by today's ruling and I am grateful to the European Court for the fair trial of my case – he declared in a statement – It is certainly a fundamental step.”
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