Haas: No regrets over previous links with Russia - Guenther Steiner

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said he does not regret the team having previously had strong links with Russia.

And he said that the «right decisions» were taken following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier in March, the Formula 1 team parted ways with Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and Russian title sponsor Uralkali, a chemicals company.

Steiner said there was no option but to drop Mazepin.

The driver's billionaire father, Dmitry Mazepin, has close ties to Vladimir Putin and Steiner said the decision was taken to avoid putting the team at risk.

«We couldn't make any other decision when we got to it, there was no possibility to keep him driving. The criticism, the sanction, altogether, it didn't work out any more,» he told BBC Sport.

Four days after Haas' decision to drop 23-year-old Mazepin, both he and his father were added to the European Union's list of Russians sanctioned over the invasion of Ukraine.

Dmitry Mazepin was described as «a member of the closest circle of [President] Vladimir Putin», and his chemicals business, which part-owned Uralkali, was said to be providing «substantial revenue» to the Russian government.

Speaking from Bahrain, before the first Grand Prix of the season, Steiner said the decision about Mazepin was taken by the whole team.

«We made it as a team and always with the background of what is best for the team,» he said.

«Because the biggest asset here is the team, with all the people we employ here, all the people who work here, we cannot put that at risk.»

Since the decision, Nikita Mazepin has announced he is setting up a foundation to support other «politically excluded» athletes.

Steiner said he had not been in touch with the young driver, adding: «It was not his doing but sometimes you end up