Although the FIA did not take the step of excluding Russian and Belarusian drivers from international competitions, Nikita Mazepin could not be calm because he knew that his immediate future in Formula 1 depended on what Haas decided to do with it and with Uralkali, his father’s fertilizer company which is the main sponsor of the team. Guenther Steiner, head of the Americans, said in Barcelona that this “had to be resolved” soon and they have already done so: They break up with both parties.
Mazepin and Uralkali are out of Haaas with immediate effect, as announced by the team with this brief statement released on their social networks on Saturday morning: “Haas F1 Team has decided to break, with immediate effect, Uralkali’s title sponsor and driver Nikita Mazepin’s contract. Like the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and we wish for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”
It is not a decision that comes as a surprise after the reaction that Haas had during the celebration of the first week of testing in Barcelona. When the conflict broke out in Ukraine, the Americans erased all reference to Uralkali from their car and also removed all the colors of the Russian flag of your equipment (motor home, trucks…), making their message clear. In addition, at first they canceled the press conferences of both Mazepin and Steiner. Now his final decision is known.
This is the future of Haas
Haas’s commitment to the Ukraine conflict has done more than his financial well-being, because this complete break with his Russian partners is a major blow to the team’s budget. It is estimated that Dmitri, Nikita’s father and one of the oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin, contributed about 30 million euros through Uralkali to ensure his son’s seat in the team for two seasons, the past and that of 2022. Without that amount, Haas will have to find an alternative to ensure its future and survive.
That in terms of the economic aspect and, in terms of sports, they are left without one of their drivers less than two weeks before the first grand prix of the season in Bahrain, where the last week of testing begins next Thursday. Thus, we will see who will accompany Mick Schumacher during the World Cup in the other VF-22, although the most logical choice would be his reserve and test driver, Pietro Fittipaldi. Emerson’s grandson has already contested two races with them in 2020 (Sakhir and Abu Dhabi) by replacing Grosjean after his accident in Bahrain.
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