The American team of Formula 1 Haas announced its decision to end “with immediate effect” its relationship with Russian sponsor Uralkali and the contract of the pilot Nikita Mazepin, also Russian, due to the invasion of Ukraine.
“Like the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine, and wishes to bring a swift and peaceful end to the conflict,” Haas wrote in a statement.
The identity of Mazepin’s replacement was not immediately released but should be known before the second and final round of pre-season testing, which takes place in Bahrain from March 10-12.
Nikita Mazepin (23 years old) is the son of the Russian millionaire and oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, a shareholder of the Uralkali group, a specialist in the production of potash, and his contract was linked to the sponsorship of the team.
On the last day of the Montmeló pre-season test session, on February 25, Haas had decided to remove the Russian Uralkali colors from their single-seaters, which usually adorned their cars.
The promoter of the Formula 1 world championship, Formula One, announced for its part on Thursday the definitive termination of its contract with the promoter of the Russian Grand Prix, whose 2022 edition should be the last organized in Sochi, before moving to San Petersburg.
‘Very disappointed’
On Monday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended banning Russians and Belarusians from sports competitions, breaking a long tradition of non-intervention in political or geopolitical debates.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) decided, for its part, to authorize Russian or Belarusian drivers in their competitions, including Formula 1, but with a neutral flag. It had previously announced that “no international competitions will take place in Russia or Belarus until further notice” and that “no flag, symbol or anthem of Russia or Belarus will be used in international competitions until further notice.
Mazepin showed his sadness at Haas’s decision in a reaction on social media. “I am very disappointed to learn that my contract in Formula 1 has been broken. Although I fully understand the difficulties that arose, the FIA’s decision (to authorize Russian drivers to compete under conditions) and my willingness to accept the conditions Proposals to proceed were completely ignored and no procedure was followed in this unilateral move,” he wrote. “I won’t say anything more in the next few days,” he pointed out.
AFP
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