“They Say They Don’t Want Money From Russia”: Insulted Nikita Mazepin Lashes Out at Haas Over F1 Sponsorship Money

The tension between Nikita Mazepin and Haas keeps growing. Recently, the Russian F1 driver again took a massive dig at Haas and also questioned Formula One about its values. Amidst the ongoing tension between Ukraine and Russia, Haas F1 terminated their contract with Nikita Mazepin and also their Russian sponsor Uralkali, owned by Nikita’s father.

After the contract’s termination, Dmitry Mazepin asked the American F1 team to return the 13 million that they gave for the 2022 season. But Haas refused to repay the amount and instead asked Uralkali for a compensation of 8.5 million.

Nikita Mazepin on Haas not returning the sponsorship money

Former Haas driver, Nikita Mazepin, questioned F1’s values by emphasizing the fact that the American F1 team kept the money and rejected Russian money.

Mazepin reported, “Everyone has the right to speak or not speak, and the FIA, the highest governing body, has allowed me to compete as long as I remain neutral. But I would say the main issue here is getting back to a sport where teams are allowed to keep sponsorship money without fulfilling the contract.”

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“And if I go further, even if they say they don’t want money from Russia. So I’m not sure, but in my opinion, the values ​​of the sport behind this should be evaluated.”

Mazepin on his return to F1

FIA still allows Russian drivers to race under a neutral flag. So, Mazepin is trying his best to get an F1 seat again. Further, Mazepin is quite optimistic that he’ll get back to his seat once things settle down. But since he and Haas didn’t part ways on good terms, let’s see which team gives the Russian a second chance in the sport.

The former Haas man driver reported, “Of course, I would love to get back into the sport. I feel like I have unfinished business there. But I need to wait until things cool down. I don’t know who to talk to because Haas obviously did what he did and didn’t play the fairest, in my opinion.” (translated using Google Translate)

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Haas F1 got Kevin Magnussen onboard after Mazepin’s termination. He has already become a crucial part of the American team. Currently, Haas is ranking seventh on the constructor’s table with 12 points. The next challenge for Haas is the Imola race. Let’s see if they can impress this week.