Formula One Team Cuts Russian Driver In Wake Of Ukraine Crisis
Haas F1 racing team announced Saturday that Russian driver Nikita Mazepin will not race for the team during the 2022 Formula One season.
According to the New York Post, the team severed ties with the 23-year-old and his sponsor Uralkali in the aftermath of Russia's ongoing invasion against Ukraine.
“Haas F1 team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin,” the team said in a statement. “As with the rest of the Formula One community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”
Mazepin said in a statement via Twitter that while disappointed in the outcome, he hopes to find his way back to the sport in "better times."
Just a rookie last season, Mazepin was the only Russian on the grid. Haas racing failed to score a single point and Mazepin finished 21st in the standings.
Per ESPN, Mazepin joined the team in 2021 as part of a sponsorship deal with the Russian fertilizer company Uralkali. The company is part-owned by his father Dmitry. Dmitry Mazepin has a relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was one of the business leaders who met with him at the Kremlin in Moscow last week.
His future was already up in the air after Motorsport UK recently banned all Russian and Belarusian license holders from competing in the country. Haas removed Uralkali branding from the No. 9 car during the final day of testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last week.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 25: Nikita Mazepin of Russia driving the (9) Haas F1 Team VF-22 Ferrari during Day Three of F1 Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 25, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
In addition to the ousting of Mazepin, Formula One called off its 2022 race in Russia. They announced Thursday that they would no longer race in Russia, terminating its contract with the Russian Grand Prix.
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