Two weeks before the start of the season in Bahrain (March 20), the American Formula 1 team Haas has decided to end "
with immediate effect
" the partnership with its Russian title sponsor Uralkali and the pilot contract of Nikita Mazepin, also Russian, because of the conflict in Ukraine, she announced on Saturday.
To discover
Formula 1: manufacturers' classification
Formula 1: drivers classification
Nikita Mazepin, who had been banned from competing in the British Grand Prix, is intimately linked to UralKali, since this Russian company is owned by his father Dimitri.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) had announced that Russian (and Belarusian) drivers would be able to compete under the neutral FIA banner.
But Haas decided otherwise.
"
Like the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes a speedy and peaceful end to the conflict
," the team wrote in a statement.
This choice to separate from the Russian sponsor and driver is in line with the choice to remove the colors of the Russian flag from its 2022 livery, returning to full white.
Fittipaldi or Giovinazzi as a new pilot?
In Germany, the media debated before this announcement on the identity of the driver who will ride alongside Mick Schumacher.
Thus,
Sky
argues that it is the reserve pilot Piettro Fittipaldi who would be promoted internally.
Steiner had moreover confirmed “
that it would be he who would be called upon in the event of Mazepin's departure, at least for practice and the first races
”.
The 25-year-old Brazilian driver, who had already replaced Romain Grosjean after his serious accident at Sakhir at the end of 2020, therefore finds himself on the front line one week before the last winter tests in Bahrain.
On the other hand,
Bild
understands that it is towards Antonio Giovinazzi that the team will finally set its sights.
Recently put aside at Alfa Romeo, the Italian driver (28 years old) comes from the Ferrari driver line.
And the Italian manufacturer maintains a privileged relationship with Haas, to which it notably supplies the engine.
