Russian Haas driver Nikita Mazepin dumped after invasion of Ukraine

F1 team Haas have finally pulled the trigger on sacking driver Nikita Mazepin as the sport’s worst kept secret was revealed.

Mazepin has lost his seat. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

F1 cellardwellars Haas have sacked Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and dropped sponsor Uralkali in a sensational development.

Ahead of testing next weekend followed by the Formula One season officially kicks off on the weekend of March 18 to 20 in Bahrain, Mazepin was finally cut loose following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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The writing has appeared to be on the wall for the best part of a week after Haas decided to remove its colours, which usually resembled the Russian flag, during last week’s testing in Barcelona.

It also removed the sponsorship for Uralkali, a group specialising in potash which is the name for the group of minerals and chemicals containing potassium.

Mazepin was linked to the sponsor by his father and the company’s non-executive director Dmitry Mazepin, a billionaire who was among a group of businessmen to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin last week to discuss NATO sanctions.

No surprises here. Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

However, after team principal Gunther Steiner failed to confirm Mazepin’s future in the sport, the pressure has been on to give the controversial 23-year-old his marching orders.

The pressure ramped up when Motorsport UK banned all Russian and Belarusian racers from competing at the British Grand Prix.

F1 also terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Pix promoter, meaning the nation will no longer have a race in the future.

Haas have now pulled the pin on Mazepin’s tenure with the team.

“Haas F1 Team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin,” the team said in a statement on Saturday night.

“As with the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”

Mazepin took to social media to express his disappointment at losing his seat and firing a bitter shot at his axing.

“Dear fans and followers, I am very disappointed to hear that my F1 contract has been terminated. While I understand the difficulties, the ruling from FlA plus my ongoing willingness to accept the conditions proposed in order to continue were completely ignored and no process was followed in this unilateral step. To those who have tried to understand, my eternal thanks. I have treasured my time in F1 and genuinely hope we can all be together again in better times. I will have more to say in the coming days. Nikita.”

Mazepin has been axed. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

The F1 world was quick to react.

On talent alone, I have always thought Nikita Mazepin did not deserve to be in F1. But for reasons unconnected with his limited skills as a driver, this is the right decision by @HaasF1Team#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 https://t.co/zL32cWAEvN

— Richard Burden (@RichardBurden27) March 5, 2022

Seen a lot saying this is harsh on Mazepin. But the man didn’t get there on merit, he got there because his Russian oligarchy Dad who’s friends with Putin sponsored the team

We all saw how bad Mazepin was last year, let’s not write this like it’s a personal tragedy. https://t.co/ObuIWz2qUj

— Tomasz Mortimer (@TomaszMortimer) March 5, 2022

It is currently unknown who the driver will be for the coming season, however Steiner said that reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi would get the first shot at the seat.

It was seemingly confirmed on Friday when team sponsor Home Deluxe CEO Alexander Thoss congratulated Mick Schumacher and Fittipaldi for driving for the team in 2022.

Similarly, Haas’ social media team shared a picture which read: “One week and we’ll be back on track for Pre-Season testing in Bahrain”. Fittipaldi was behind the wheel in the accompanying picture.

🇧🇭 One week and we’ll be back on track for Pre-Season testing in Bahrain 😊#HaasF1pic.twitter.com/cQIoqeAWiP

— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) March 3, 2022

Mazepin has been a controversial figure since coming into F1.

It was no secret that he was signed at least partially due to his father being a billionaire and the team signing him while looking for “drivers with financial backing”, but he was quickly embroiled in a scandal when he groped the breasts of a young woman.

His driving ability also came into question as he crashed on his first lap in the F1, and had several run ins with the Schumachers, including teammate Mick.