FÓRMULA-1

Nikita Mazepin is out and Pietro Fittipaldi can take his place

After the announcement of the end of his contract with Haas, this Saturday (05), Nikita Mazepin(image above) spoke. The Russian driver classified the decision taken by the American team as "unilateral" and revealed that he was willing to accept the determinations of the FIA ​​(Federation Internationale de Automobilismo).

It is worth remembering that the entity released, last Friday (04), a code of conduct that Russian and Belarusian pilots should comply with in order not to be prevented from participating in the regulatory body's events. Among the impositions was the ban on playing the anthems of Russia and Belarus at FIA events and public expressions of support for the invasion of Ukraine.

"Dear fans and followers, I am very disappointed to hear that my F1 contract has been terminated. While I understand the difficulties, the FIA's impositions and my willingness to accept the proposed conditions to continue have been completely ignored and no process has been followed in this unilateral decision." , revealed Mazepin.

"For those who tried to understand, my eternal gratitude. I enjoyed my time in F1 and I really hope we can be together in better times. I will talk more in the coming days", he concluded.

Earlier this Saturday morning, Haas announced that both Mazepin and sponsor Uralkali - a Russian fertilizer company managed by Dmitry Mazepin, the driver's father - were no longer part of the American team.

"Haas F1 Team has decided to terminate, with immediate effect, the partnership with Uralkali and the Nikita Mazepin driver contract. Like the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a peaceful end to the conflict," said the statement issued by the team.

Haas has not announced, at the moment, who will be the replacement for the Russian driver on the Formula 1 grid. Pietro Fittipaldi is expected to take the place, with Antonio Giovinazzi also applying for the spot.

The departure was caused by the delicate situation of Mazepin after several sanctions applied to Russian athletes and, of course, the break with the main sponsorship of the team. Despite the FIA ​​deciding that drivers and teams from Russia could continue in motorsport with a neutral flag, Motorsport UK, the sport's governing body in the United Kingdom, took another step.

The body declared that the licenses of pilots of the RAF (Russian Automobile Federation) and the BAF (Belarusian Automobile Federation) are suspended in British territory. With that, Nikita would miss the Formula 1 British GP in 2022, forcing a change of the team at least for the Silverstone stage.

Autonews / (Photo: Haas)