Ukraine War: F1 team Haas terminates Russian driver Mazepin's contract

Haas Formula 1 team on Saturday terminated the contract of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and their title sponsorship with Uralkali. The team announced its split with Mazepin in the wake of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

"Haas F1 Team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin," the team said in a statement.   

"As with the rest of the Formula One community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict," the statement added.

The decision means no Russian drivers are signed up to race in F1 ahead of the new season. 

Earlier, the FIA had given the green light to Mazepin to continue racing under a neutral flag for the season, but the driver continued to face scrutiny over Russia's attack on Ukraine.

David Richards, Chairman of Motorsport UK, expelled all Russians from competitions - effectively banning Mazepin from competing at the British GP at Silverstone this year.

Also read: Ukraine war: NBA suspends its business in Russia, says report

Mazepin's father, oligarch Dmitry, is a part-owner of Haas' title sponsor, Uralkali. Haas removed the branding of the Russian chemical company for the final day of testing in Barcelona last week.  

The team announced that they have also terminated their title partnership with Uralkali. 

The Russian driver joined Haas at the start of last year as part of a sponsorship deal with the company that helped the team secure its finances ahead of the 2021 season. 

Meanwhile, Formula One has cancelled its contract with the Russian Grand Prix. The decision comes six days after this year's race, due to take place in Sochi on September 25, was pulled from the calendar.

Also read: My people would rather die than give up, says Man City's Ukrainian star Zinchenko

• Formula 1
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• Ukraine
• Russia Ukraine War