Nikita Mazepin Pins Blame on Haas F1 Car for Recent Struggles and Spins

Haas’ rookie driver, Nikita Mazepin, has been having a lackluster debut season in F1 so far this season. The Russian driver is very critical about his own performance on track and hopes to improve it before the season concludes in December.

The 22-year-old did have a rough start to this year’s campaign as he was constantly spinning on track. The most notable was his crash in the opening race in Bahrain. However, Mazepin feels the car is more unstable and just needs extra time to get used to it.

Nikita Mazepin blames lackluster Haas car for spins

As quoted by PlanetF1, Mazepin said, “If I had been asked after Bahrain, I would have given myself a very low score. But after careful analysis of the past races, the reason for my quite bad results and turns in the first three races was the car itself.

“After that, I would probably have given myself a four,” he explained.

The rookie driver was well aware of the disappointing start he will endure in his first year in F1 and the pressure from this sport lacks in comparison to his previous competitions.

He said, “Before the 2019 season, I was just mentally unprepared for the likely lack of results. You always want to show up and make it work. But unfortunately, in racing and other areas of life, you don’t always get the level of results you want.

“This year, of course, it hasn’t been easy. The pressure in F1 is incomparable to any other series. But I think I am reacting to it correctly and with dignity,” he concluded.

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How has Mazepin’s debut season been so far?

The 22-year-old rookie driver has been struggling to make an impact in the first season, to say the least. The underperforming car by Haas, let Mazepin get knocked out in the first round of qualifying himself and often finds itself at the back of the grid.

On race day, Nikita is often battling with backmarkers on the grid with the likes of Williams and Alfa Romeo. He hasn’t been able to score his first points of the season and sits in 19th place, but hopes to learn from his mistakes and be better for the next race.

At the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Russian had his best-ever finish by crossing the line in 14th place. This might give some much-needed motivation to the Russian driver for the upcoming race in France.

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