Why was Nikita Mazepin dropped by Haas at the start of the 2022 F1 season?

Nikita Mazepin was a rookie F1 driver for Haas who drove in the sport in 2021. Prior to that, he was in the F2 Championship in 2019 and 2020. However, the American team terminated the Russian's contract right before the start of the 2022 F1 season. This was huge news at the time, since the youngster was already registered to drive in 2022 and even unveiled Haas' new car.

The primary reason why Nikita Mazepin's contract was terminated by Haas was because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Nikita Mazepin's father's business, Uralkali, was also removed from the title sponsor spot in Haas. This came amid several sports cutting ties with Russia amid the ongoing conflict. Furthermore, it was revealed that Mazepin senior was a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The FIA stated that any Russian or Belarusian driver can compete in races under a neutral flag. Although Mazepin claimed that he accepted all the conditions that could have allowed him to race, Haas ignored them, outright terminating his contract and also removing his father's company as the title sponsor.

After the team issued a statement on how they are terminating Mazepin's and Uralkali's contracts, the Russian driver posted his own statement in response. He explained how his willingness to stay in the sport and accept all the conditions presented by the FIA was completely ignored. Lastly, he thanked those who understood his situation and hoped that he could return to the sport one day.

After being exiled from F1, Nikita Mazepin went on to race in the Ladoga Trophy rally raid series. He also took part in the Silk Way Rally for Snag Racing. In 2023, he made a return to international motorsports, making his debut in the Asian Le Mans Series with 99 Racing.

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Nikita Mazepin delighted to join the Asian Le Mans Series, marking his return to international motorsports

A few months ago, it was announced that Nikita Mazepin would be participating in the Asian Le Mans racing series. This is the first time the Russian driver will return to an international motorsport event after being axed from F1 by Haas. Mazepin released a statement expressing his excitement to join the racing series with 99 Racing and race alongside his teammates. He wrote:

"I am delighted to be making my return to racing in the Asian Le Mans Series. Together with my teammates at 99 Racing, I'm hoping to have a great experience competing in the sport I love."

Mazepin has already competed in all four races in the Asian Le Mans Series in the LMP2 category and has performed fairly well. He ended in fourth place in the LMP2 drivers' championship with 49 points.