Mazepin questions "values" in F1 amid Haas, Uralkali sponsorship dispute

The Russian driver was dropped by the Haas team on the eve of the season as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Haas felt it was untenable to continue with him and his backers, so also ended its title sponsorship arrangement with the Uralkali company run by Mazepin’s father Dmitry.

Immediately after the sponsorship split, Uralkali demanded that Haas return payments for the 2022 season that it had made in advance since the deal was not continuing.

However, Haas has responded and made clear that it will not pay back the $13 million – and furthermore has demanded an extra $8.6m in compensation for loss of profits.

The breakdown in relations with Haas makes a reunion unlikely in the future, but that has not stopped Mazepin hoping he can find a way back into F1.

However, before he says he can consider his options for the future, he reckons that questions need to be asked about how teams are allowed to behave.

Speaking to CNN’s Quest means business programme, Mazepin played down any suggestion that his political neutrality over the Russian war would be held against him in a potential F1 comeback.

“Everybody has a right to speak or not to speak and the FIA, the highest governing body, has enabled me to compete as long as I'm neutral,” he said.

“But I would say the biggest issue here is coming back to the sport where teams are allowed to be keeping sponsorship money without fulfilling the contract. And even asking for more, even though they say they don't want money from Russia. So I'm not sure, but the sport values need to be evaluated for me after this.”

Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-22

Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images

Mazepin feels that he has more to give in F1, with his rookie season in 2021 coinciding with Haas