Mazepin is not sure of a spot in F1 despite FIA's statement

Uralkali will be removed from Haas' car as a Russian sponsor, but the driver who owed the seat to that sponsor may stay on. The question is whether Haas will also choose to keep Nikita Mazepin in the seat.

FIA takes sanctions

Even before the FIA had taken sanctions against Russia, Haas itself had already drawn up conclusions. During the second day of testing in Barcelona, it was revealed that Haas was cutting ties with sponsor Uralkali and removing the logos and colors from the car. Mazepin was still in action during the third test day, but is in uncertainty about his contract.

Officially, Mazepin is allowed to be in action for Haas. The statement released by the FIA on Tuesday made it clear that Russian athletes are allowed to compete under a neutral flag. Russian teams are not allowed to compete in races, but there is no question of that in F1. Also, there should be no Russian expressions on the car.

FIA Statement - World Motor Sport Council decisions in relation to the situation in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/HwChHhkla6

— FIA (@fia) March 1, 2022

In that respect, Haas was already ahead of the game during the third day of testing in Barcelona. Then sponsor Uralkali had already disappeared from the car, with the corresponding Russian colors. Yet this also raised questions, because Uralkali itself has not been sanctioned and has not spoken out about the war.

Quick decision by Haas

The decision of Haas was therefore rigorous. The team distances itself from the sponsor and looks within the contract how this can be settled. However, according to the new guidelines of the FIA, the sponsor could simply remain on the car, but the Russian colors must disappear. Uralkali could therefore have returned to the car in a different way.

However, for whatever reason, Haas did not choose to do this. This rigorous approach also has implications for Mazepin. He was brought in as a young talented driver, but mainly because of his father's bag of money. Haas decided to choose mainly drivers with money from 2021 onwards, in order to get closer to the top. If Mazepin doesn't provide the money and is clearly not a mega-talent either, one can wonder if Haas should stick with him.

Replacements for Mazepin

So although the FIA allows Mazepin to race under an 'FIA flag', it could be that Haas chooses another option. A title sponsor like Uralkali will have paid quite a bit of money for that prominent place on the car and now Haas will lose that money. Guenther Steiner may have let it be known that the team is not in financial trouble, but extra money from a new driver would be welcome.

Pietro Fittipaldi was mentioned first. The reserve driver of Haas already filled in for Romain Grosjean in 2020 after his heavy crash in Bahrain. Whether the grandson of Emerson has the bag of money, however, remains to be seen. Antonio Giovinazzi was also mentioned. He has more F1 experience and can provide a discount on the engine through Ferrari.