Haas refuses to hand back $13m Uralkali funds
Apr.19 - Haas' reported refusal to return $13 million in sponsorship to ousted title sponsor Uralkali has been slammed by Russian F1 commentator Alexey Popov.
"I understand that they were under pressure and it was impossible not to break the contract with Nikita," the Match TV broadcaster admitted.
"But after they cooperated for a year, they survived last year with Uralkali's money and built a good car this year.
"So it was possible for them to behave differently than this," Popov added.
In fact, Popov says he is in "total shock" about the latest reports about Haas.
"Remember how the Mazepins begged for a new chassis and paid more than the sponsorship contract to build it," he said.
"I've heard stories that Haas employees left because their salaries were too low and Dmitry Mazepin paid them personally to stay.
"And now, it's not just 'we took the money and we won't give it back', but also 'you need for pay us extra even through your driver is no longer in the car'," Popov added.
Nikita Mazepin, who was even named personally in the sanctions against Russia and Vladimir Putin, also hit out at Haas over the financial dispute.
"The big problem is that in this sport, teams are allowed not to return sponsor funds, violating the terms of the contract and even demanding to pay more," he said.
"At the same time, they continue to say that they do not want money from Russia."
Former Russian F1 driver's ex-manager Oksana Kosachenko says Haas' position reeks of "dishonesty".
"I am sure that a fairly serious team of lawyers will now work for Uralkali to correct this process," she told the Sport-Express newspaper.
Finally, 23-year-old Mazepin hit back at the idea that he is in Putin's "inner circle".
"I think everyone is now in the inner circle," he smirked. "It seems as if every businessman, every athlete and every artist deals with the Kremlin on a daily basis, and of course that is not the case."
The Russian driver said he is not yet hanging up his F1 helmet.
"I just have to be patient and wait for things to settle down," said Mazepin. "I also don't know who to go back with because obviously the Haas team didn't have the best behaviour in my opinion."
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Well , if Mspin says so , it must be true
"The big problem is that in this sport, teams are allowed not to return sponsor funds, violating the terms of the contract and even demanding to pay more," he said.
Could be the financial sanctions preventing it , Or GH just playing hardball, Willians got there money from Rokit (well they won the court case..)
"I just have to be patient and wait for things to settle down," said Mazepin
Ain't gonna' happen, Niki baby. You're a footnote in history.
he apparently doesn't understand that even if Haas WANTED to return Uralkali/Mazepin's corrupt mafia blood money, US law prevents any transfer of funds, and likely will continue to do so for a very long time! Unfortunately for many poor farmers around the world, the fact that Uralkali's fertilizer is now off the global market, fertilizer prices (even here in the US) have jumped. The price paid for war is paid by almost everyone, albeit indirectly. Putin and his regime must be ended, period.
Good for them.
AMF!
I would gladly accept paying higher prices for everything knowing that the rest of the world is not doing business with Russia. I feel bad for the genuine good citizens of Russia who’s life gets harder for because of Putin war. However I also believe that the citizens of Russia are the only people who may stop him. It may take a civil war and people with enough courage to start one, to take Putin out of power. But all of which is better than WWIII. Oh yea and I hope Mazepin never comes back…
Glad you are in a position to afford it.
Europe's got into bed with Putin over gas and oil/diesel,Germany more than any other Euro country, they cant just turn the gas off/swop suppliers like people do with car insurance, to a country with 83M people, Germany's polit buro can shout loud, say this and that , but the reality is , either we pay more for our oil and gas, or we freeze, and politicians don't like unhappy voters...
I remember talking with East Germans after the wall came down, they are so conditioned by state media to believe everything they are told, so Russians will be the same, even 30yrs on and with the media as it is now, cant remember the exact quote, something like , control the money and you control the people .
ah, the voice of reason. thank you. as long as the russians have electricity and potatoes they will support the putprick. only thing that might change that is if they start counting the body bags. dismal life. sad.
The potatoes arent to eat.., there to make vodka remember Mr Yeltsin, the state owned tv will take care of the censorship Ror
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