Mazepin doesn't get his money: Haas demands compensation from Uralkali

Because of the war in Ukraine Haas tore up the contract with sponsor Uralkali and also broke ties with driver Nikita Mazepin. Where Uralkali wanted to take action, it is now precisely Haas that has filed a claim with the former sponsor.

For Haas, it was a chaotic opening to the season. During the first winter test in Barcelona, Russia invaded Ukraine and that kept the whole world busy. Dmitry Mazepin, the owner of Uralkali and father of the driver Nikita, is in close contact with Vladimir Putin which made Haas decide to break the ties with the sponsor and the driver.

In a reaction on their website, Uralkali said that they didn't understand the action of Haas, because at that time there were no sanctions against the company or the Mazepins. Uralkali, therefore, demanded that the amount that had already been transferred (reportedly 12 million euros) be refunded by the American team.

Motorsport.com knows reports that Haas has turned the tables. The team has now formally responded to Uralkali's letter, stating that it was within its rights to break the contract. In doing so, the team points to a clause in the contract stating that the contract can be terminated if Uralkali harms the team's image. According to Haas, this happened because of Mazepin's ties to the Kremlin.

In addition to the fact that Haas will therefore not repay the amount of 12 million euros, the team itself demands 8 million euros from Uralkali. According to Haas, the team has lost this amount by breaking the contract and is still entitled to it. As long as the eight million euros has not been transferred, Mazepin would not get the 2021 car he was entitled to according to his contract.

In addition, Haas would also refuse to pay the Russian the salary for the months he had already worked in 2022 before the dissolution of his contract. Haas' reaction reportedly caused disbelief among Uralkali, but the company itself did not want to comment.