After Haas F1 Fires Nikita Mazepin, Russian F3 Driver Withdraws From All Forms of Racing

The world is shaken up by the current Russia-Ukraine conflict. The world of international sports is no different. Most of the governing bodies have put a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. Although many support this decision, there are plenty who oppose it. So far in F1, Haas has had to drop their title sponsor and driver, Nikita Mazepin.

Till recently, Mazepin was one of the loudest voices of dissent against not letting the athletes compete at the highest level. However, now another Russian driver, Alexander Smolyar, has followed the ex-F1 driver and left all forms of racing. Smolyar took to social media to break this news to his fans.

Who is Alexander Smolyar?

Alexander Smolyar is a 20-year-old Russian driver who currently competes in Formula 3 for MP Motorsport. Smolyar debuted for ART Grand Prix in 2020 and has notched up 2 wins and 5 podiums in his Formula 3 career. He was set to compete in the 2022 season with MP Motorsport. However, he has announced that he is leaving the sport altogether.

He spoke through an Instagram post that said, “I will not compete in FIA F3 and any international racing series this year…From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support in these difficult times.

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He is the second driver to leave the sport after Nikita Mazepin. The Haas driver also lost his seat due to the current political situation in Europe.

The F1 dream

After his sacking from Haas, Nikita Mazepin has gone to announce a charity that will aid athletes stuck in political situations beyond their control. The charity is in partnership with Uralkali. Uralkali will use the money which was set aside for the Haas sponsorship to launch the charity, ‘We Compete As One’.

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The foundation will be open to all athletes struggling with similar obstacles as Mazepin. It is a great gesture on their behalf. It will help many athletes during these challenging times. Although the sacking of Mazepin was a sad affaire, it led to the formation of an organization with a great cause.