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via Reuters

via Reuters

Nikita Mazepin’s F1 career did not get off to an ideal start in Bahrain. He did not have much control over his Haas car and spun around like a frisbee the whole weekend. So, how does he plan to overcome them?

The Russian rookie is entering the pinnacle of motorsports at a very testing time. On one hand, the number of laps that a driver can get under his belt for testing purposes is more limited than ever. On the other, this season will oversee a record-breaking 23-race calendar.

via Reuters

Naturally, it can become hard for a driver to keep his focus, let alone an inexperienced debutant.

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“I feel like the biggest thing to get used to is learning the schedule, and the weekend is much more intense with all that’s going on and the sessions on track. It’s about keeping concentration and learning the schedule – that’s the biggest thing,” said Nikita Mazepin.

The Haas driver did his reputation no favors at the Bahrain International Circuit. He broke the driver’s agreement, messed Vettel’s qualifying lap, and had a shunt merely a few corners into the main race on Sunday. So, he will need to bounce back and focus on other important aspects of his car as well, like the tires.

Mazepin agrees with Mick Schumacher on tire assessment

In contrast to Mazepin, his teammate, Mick Schumacher, enjoyed a much better outing. Although the German also spun during the opening stages, he recovered to finish the race.

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He blamed the cold tires for his spin. The nature of these compounds intrigued him and he’s vowed to devote more time to get the hang of them. Mazepin isn’t underestimating the importance of them either

 “I will go with Mick with tyres being the most important thing in F1. The tyres are very tricky and it requires a lot of studying and nursing them.”

via Reuters

It would be outrageous to expect much of these two rookies this season. The car underneath them is hands down the least driver-friendly on the grid. So, Mazepin, like Mick, should try to keep it simple in the race and focus on learning the ropes of the sport.

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