'No guarantees' for Mazepin's Haas F1 seat says boss
Mar.1 - Nikita Mazepin's Formula 1 career is hanging in the balance ahead of an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday of the World Motor Sport Council.
The meeting has been convened by new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem as a direct result of the "ongoing crisis in Ukraine".
Preparations for September's Russian GP at Sochi have already been suspended, so it is expected the meeting is specifically to discuss whether Haas driver Mazepin should be expelled from the 2022 world championship.
The move would be in concert with much of the rest of the sporting world, as western nations impose hefty sanctions to deter Russia's incursion in Ukraine.
The International Olympic Committee is recommending that international sports federations ban Russian athletes, while FIFA and EUFA have banned Russian teams from playing.
And the president of Ukraine's motorsport federation, Leonid Kostyuchenko, has reportedly called on the FIA to ban those with Russian licenses from racing this year.
FIA chief Ben Sulayem reportedly wrote to Kostyuchenko to offer "full support".
The saga is a big blow to the American team Haas, whose main sponsor Uralkali - headed by Mazepin's father Dmitry, with former ties to Vladimir Putin - was removed from the 2022 during Barcelona testing.
According to RTL, Mick Schumacher's sponsor 1+1 is even threatening to quit Haas if the team does not dump Uralkali.
"We now have to decide how all this will continue – with the sponsor and also with Mazepin," team boss Gunther Steiner said.
"Of course Nikita is worried. There are no guarantees for anything in Formula 1, including him."
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher told Sky Deutschland: "This could be the end for Nikita, which is a shame of course because the young man can't help it.
"There is a bit of a time constraint with this as there is only one test left and whoever may replace Mazepin needs the opportunity to get to know the car," he added.
Schumacher thinks a ban for Mazepin is likely, adding: "There is also the travel issue. It is currently impossible for Russian citizens to move around Europe and the world."
Steiner has already named Pietro Fittipaldi as a contender for Mazepin's seat, while Schumacher has heard two other names doing the rounds.
"There is Antonio Giovinazzi and also Oscar Piastri, who won both Formula 3 and Formula 2 in his first year and therefore deserves the chance," said the German.
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First, I am an American and I want our team to fly and MSC is a fav young lion who might score points this season. BUT, it doesn't matter who drives that turd, it is slow.
Second, this is a done deal. Mr. Maz and jr are toast, a footnote in the F! journal Move on.
Wait til the next test before you label the car a turd. Haas would do well to split the costs of his operation with Andretti now and run Fittipaldi with MSC this year and bring Herta in next year when MSC moves on.
So it would be the Haas-Andretti-F1 / Andretti-Haas-F1 to be fair both sound ok
Joey, understand that I have been a Haas cheerleader since the team's inception. I am a fan.....period. BUT, the apex of the effort was the 2018 season and the team performance has gotten worse each succeeding year. It is the slowest car on track. That makes it a turd. The next test won't change that.
As for a power split, interesting idea. Mr. Haas did partner with Stewart in BASHCAR. so it is a possibility.....longshot, but maybe. I doubt that Michael's ego could handle it.
Anyway, let's cheer for MSC's first points this season.
Well being that we have a new formula this year and they spent an entire year working on the car, I don’t think it can be judged on previous years performance. I am American and I support Haas as an American squad but I have never rooted for them. I am not alone in the thinking that they may have built a ringer this year.
Good riddance to the Mazepins and their dirty Russian mafia money!
Motorsport's governing body the FIA is to allow Russian competitors to take part in international events despite the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The statement added that Russian and Belarusian drivers and officials could compete in a neutral capacity.
First that I've heard about this, Shrop', but remember it's all about the $$$. Is Mr. Maz going to personally foot the bill for his son to drive in F1? Certainly Haas will not put his potash company name on their car. Will they? I don't know, this is all above my paygrade.
Anyway, two weeks and it's off to the races. Everybody starts at zero.
i suppose the statement says they " can " race as neutrals, whether NM does , is another matter, i read also Micks sponsors are beginning to whinge about the U sponsorship deal, so it might all sort itself out and Nkita or his dad might say f$$k it, its not worth the grief .
Anyhow just nine days till 2nd test, then the fun will really begin
OK, Shrop', a bit more. It might be a bit pollyanna but why must we race as Canadians, Brits, Brazilians, Russians, Chinese, etc.? Can't we take the PR line, 'We Race As One", seriously and just all be racers?
OK, soapbox is back in the closet.
I suspect sanctions will prevent any further dirty Russian mafia money to flow into the Haas coffers from Maz Sr./Uralkali or out to pay the salary of Maz Jr. and if Haas were smart their contracts with both have a "sanctions out" clause. And personally I think "Andretti-Haas" has a very nice ring to it, with young Fittipaldi for this year and when Mick moves on next year or the year after with young Herta. Brilliant solution - and Toto can go stuff his demand for a massive bribe for "dilution" - the nerve of that smug bastard!
Well said, Adrian, but let's not do a FOX news misinformation hit job. The 'dilution fee' is part of the Concorde Agreement signed two years ago by every team. Yes, Toto signed it, but so did every other team principal. He might be smug, but he did not write the rules.
my understanding is that Toto is demanding the fee be five times what it should be - a billion US$ when most accounts put it at $200mm
Adrian, I believe that he said it takes a billion to be in F1, unrelated to the $200m fee. Don't misunderstand me, IMO the totster is a bit full of himself. He did not design or build the MB rocket, and his pitbox calls have been less than perfect. I just appreciate factual criticism vs hype.
If the Fia wont do it, then UK Motorsport will it seems
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60586914
I knew there was a reason that I like you guys.
We aim to please Ror
While I appreciate this is not the correct thread for this, as its an active thread i thought id post it here, and the statement is more than this section, but when i read it i thought wtf?
Saudi Arabia confirms track changes after safety complaints
“In addition, further modifications will also be made to Turns 4, 16, 22 and 24 after consultation with the drivers who requested a smoother barrier on the apex so that they can potentially brush it as they pass.
“To accommodate this, SMC is installing a steel plate which will effectively wrap around the concrete barriers given them the smooth surface they require to favour the lines the drivers take around the record-breaking course.”
yippee, armcoo. Does JYS know about this? Next stop, hay bales and traffic cones. Personally I favor spikes and barbed barriers or engine disablers if you cross the white line. Maybe that would keep the kids on the track.
Sounds like there's a fair amount of surplus sheet steel in Rusky land, if they cant export it , heh lets line the corners with it... brilliant...! only in Putinland
Perhaps the whole notion of having F1 race in a country with an atrocious human rights record and a murderous dictator engaged in an illegal war should also rule out racing in the Saudi "kingdom", err, oil fiefdom?
No No , that only works if your name is Khashoggi, or your from the Yemen, brilliant guys those Saudis, yeah right
Good luck with that. Lacking an international crisis, i.e. the Rus/Ukr war, $$$ always win. Sad but true. The whole should an athlete be punished for his origin argument is one for a long pub night, but holding a country responsible for their actions is a no-brainer.
Thinking about Piastri is unrealistic & even Gio seems unlikely at this point. P. Fittipaldi is the most likely & easiest choice.
AND he's already being paid. AND his surname has a bit of recognition in the US.
Its Mr Big Hair for me, if Haas need a driver.
The Haas team doesn't do long hair.
Ahh yes thats true, forgot that, oh well shampoo adds for Gio then it is
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