Mazepin: 'Even for a Russian I am hated a lot'

You can say what you like about Nikita Mazepin, but not that he is a colourless addition to Formula 1. Because of the controversy surrounding his personality, many people have strong opinions about the Russian. On the Russian Match TV, he now speaks out for the first time about the issue that got him in the news.

It is now more than a month since a video of Mazepin seemingly grabbing a woman by the breast caused a stir among F1 followers. The woman in question was quick to say it was a joke and they are good friends. However, doubts soon arose about the authenticity of that statement.

Mazepin feels that he has been treated unusually harshly for this incident and therefore does not care much about it. "There are certain reasons, which have nothing to do with the racing world, why I am treated differently. I'm used to criticism and I don't have any problem with that."

According to him, there is another reason why people are so critical. His Russian predecessors had the same experience. "They were all top racers, professionals through and through, but some things that were said about them were not deserved. But that's life. That the Russians are treated differently doesn't surprise me."

But even within this anti-Russian sentiment, he feels he is being treated extra harshly. "I think there's hardly a Russian driver who gets so much fuss and hate. Am I prepared for it? It is part of life. If you want to race, you have to face something like that."