Haas boss Guenther Steiner admits 'no possibility to keep' Mazepin father and son after Russian invasion

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said the the Russian invasion of Ukraine made the Mazepin presence in the team untenable. The American team had a major sponsor in Uralkali, which is owned by Dmitry Mazepin, and as part of that deal his son Nikita — already a controversial figure in the sport — was retained as one of their drivers.

Ad/> However, Mazepin Sr.’s links with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, forced them to end their deal with the chemical company and Nikita also departed as a result. Formula 1Norris claims 'biggest ever' F1 chases are to make 'better racing'AN HOUR AGO Steiner expressed no regret about taking money from Uralkali before the invasion of Ukraine, but told the BBC that events meant that the arrangement had become unworkable.

«We couldn't make any other decision when we got to it, there was no possibility to keep him driving,” he admitted. “The criticism, the sanction, altogether, it didn't work out any more.” Verstappen sets fastest time in FP2, Hamilton struggles 'I can't do everything' — Hamilton responds to Bahrain human rights abuses Verstappen claims 'I don't think we need a full report' over 2021 season controversy Mazepin was replaced by Haas’ former driver Kevin Magnussen.