Once again, Nikita Mazepin proved himself to be a nuisance on the racetrack. This time, the driver he annoyed was Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. Apparently, the Spaniard was on a hot lap but he encountered traffic in the form of the Russian driver. Needless to say, Sainz was furious because he was on a good run and was forced to back out.
He complained on the radio, “Instead of finishing the lap, I’m getting out of the way. He needs to do Turn 1 in front of you. F*** this guy”. Meanwhile, Mazepin said, “Yeah, Sainz… What’s he doing man? He f***ed my lap and then he expects me to help him.”
This isn’t the first time the Russian driver has caught the ire of his rivals. There have been many occasions where another driver has been stuck behind him. In fact, Sergio Perez was a frequent victim and the Mexican driver was never impressed with his antics.
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Will Nikita Mazepin ever learn?
Considering that he has balked many drivers during practice or qualifying, one would think not. However, the driver will also be aware that he cannot afford to rack up penalty points. If he does, he could face a one-race ban, which would be a first in Formula One.
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Until then, Nikita Mazepin has to tread carefully and not get in anybody else’s way. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz Jr will be hoping to bang in a decent performance for Ferrari. At Azerbaijan, he and teammate Charles Leclerc have been able to put up a fight against Red Bull.
While all this is happening, the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have struggled. After a poor day in the office at Monaco, the German giants definitely need a good result to get back in the game.
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Unfortunately, they are not off to a great start. Hopefully, for their sake, Saturday and Sunday provide better fortunes.