RUSSIAN GP CALLED OFF, MAZEPIN FUTURE IN DOUBT
The sporting ramifications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reached Formula 1 last week when the Russian Grand Prix was called off, with Nikita Mazepin’s future at Haas also in serious doubt.
Following the start of major military action against Ukraine by Russian forces last Thursday, F1 initially announced that it was monitoring the situation
“very closely” with regards to the grand prix in Sochi scheduled for 25 September. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was the first driver to speak out about racing in Russia, saying he would boycott the race if it went ahead. “I think it’s wrong to race in that country,” he said. “I’m sorry for the people, innocent people who are losing their lives, getting killed for stupid reasons under a very strange and mad leadership.”
It put more pressure on F1 to take action, leading to a crisis meeting between the series’ top officials and team bosses last Thursday evening at the Barcelona test. F1 confirmed on Friday that it would not be racing in Russia this year, saying it would be “impossible” for the Sochi race to go ahead.
The Russian GP joined the calendar in 2014, and was attended in its early years by President Vladimir Putin, who presented the trophies on the podium and was a keen advocate for the event.
It is anticipated that the race will be replaced by another event to keep the calendar at 23 races. The Turkish GP, a stand-in replacement in 2020 and 2021, is not thought to be under consideration for the slot.
The outbreak of war has also clouded the future of Mazepin. Uralkali, a Russian company of which Mazepin’s father Dmitry is a director, has been the title sponsor of Haas since the start of the 2021 season, with its red, white and blue livery echoing the Russian flag. After pulling Mazepin from his media commitments on Thursday at Barcelona, Haas announced that it would be removing all Uralkali branding from its car for the final day of testing, switching to a white livery. The team also removed any reference to Uralkali from its communications, and removed the stickers of the company from its trucks and hospitality units.
Team principal Gunther Steiner explained on Friday that Haas would be reviewing the deal with Uralkali this week. “We have to sort out all the legal stuff, which I cannot speak about,” he said. “We made the decision yesterday with our team partners. This is what we’re going to do. I need to work on the rest next week.” Steiner acknowledged that Mazepin’s future “needs to be
resolved”. Mazepin himself wrote on Twitter that he was “not in control over a lot of what is being said and done”.
Regardless of Haas’s own action relating to Mazepin and Uralkali, it is possible that the FIA may take action that bans Russians from competing following advice from the International Olympic Committee. On Monday, the IOC’S executive board recommended that no Russian or Belarusian athletes or officials took part in international competitions. The FIA has been a recognised federation of the IOC since 2012.
The FIA announced later on Monday that it would be holding an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on Tuesday to discuss matters relating to Russia and Ukraine, which was still ongoing as Autosport went to press. This move came after the Automobile Federation of Ukraine called for a similar ban as the IOC against competitors and officials from Russia and its ally, Belarus, in reaction to the invasion.
Should the FIA take action, it would impact not only Mazepin but all Russians in FIA championships, including ex-f1 driver Daniil Kvyat, who is set to race in the World Endurance Championship, and Ferrari reserve Robert Shwartzman.
Along with scrapping the Russian Grand Prix, the
FIA has also called off the World Touring Car Cup and International Drifting events that were due to take place in Sochi later this year.