NIKITA MAZEPIN has slammed Haas for cancelling his contract and accused the Formula One team of ‘completely ignoring’ the FIA’s ruling on Russian racers.
Following intense speculation, Haas confirmed today that the driver had been sacked along with title sponsor Uralkali.
Nikita Mazepin has torn into Haas and accused them of ‘completely ignoring’ the FIA’s ruling on Russian racers
Haas announced that they had axed the Russian driver today
It was announced by the FIA earlier this week that the Russian driver would be able to race under a neutral flag this season following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
He was also banned from driving the British Grand Prix after Motorsport UK blocked all Russian and Belarussian racers from competing.
Now after his team confirmed that his deal with them has been ripped up, Mazepin tore into his former employers at full throttle.
The 23-year-old said in a statement: “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 the FIA 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.”
He finished it off by stating that he would have ‘more to say in the coming days’.
No confirmation of who will replace him at Haas has yet been announced.
Nikita Mazepin’s father, billionaire oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, has close ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The 2022 F1 season is due to get underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.
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