the vagueness surrounding the future of the pilot Nikita Mazepin, son of a Russian oligarch – Liberation

The Haas team driver, son of a close friend of Vladimir Putin, is in the hot seat. So far, the 23-year-old Muscovite has distinguished himself more by his escapades than by his performances.

A year after arriving in Formula 1, Nikita Mazepin already out ? Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the future of this Muscovite driver – who came last in the standings in 2021 with no points scored and five retirements – seems compromised. The British Motorsports Federation has already announced that no Russian or Belarusian drivers will compete in the UK. That of Ukraine is pressuring the International Automobile Federation to ban them completely. For the moment, it allows them to participate under neutral flag.

But for how long ? His case is all the more delicate as he is the son of Dmitry Mazepin, a billionaire and oligarch close to Vladimir Putin. It is moreover thanks to his father that he returned to Formula 1, within the American team Haas: Dmitry Mazepin is one of the main shareholders of Uralkali, a Russian company specializing in potash, which has become the team’s first sponsor in 2021. To compensate for the departure of Frenchman Romain Grosjean, Haas has agreed to recruit young Nikita Mazepin, a bit boosted by his father.

Pots and fights

For the moment, the team has not broken its partnership, planned for several years, with Uralkali. The subject is delicate because the team, on the edge of the financial abyss, receives 15 to 20 million euros per season thanks to the help of the Russian company. A decision must be made in the coming days. But during pre-season testing in Barcelona on Friday, Haas had removed the Uralkali logo that his car usually sports. A breach of contract is therefore probable.

Such a scenario would precipitate the departure of Nikita Mazepin. Which wouldn’t really be a big loss for Formula 1. In December 2020, a week after his arrival in the competition was made official, he posted a video on his Instagram of him touching a woman’s breast visibly drunk and not consenting. In embarrassment, Haas, who had just recruited Mick Schumacher (son of Michael) at the same time, published a press release condemning the behavior of his new pilot.

Among his other pans: several brawls with his competitors when he was in lower championships, an amused emoji in response to a racist comment aimed at Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda or homophobic remarks on social networks. Even before Nikita Mazepin made his Grand Prix debut, the hashtags #MazepinOut and #WeDontWantMazepin were popping up on the internet. A petition calling for its withdrawal is even launched and collects nearly 50,000 signatures.

Memes and “MazeSpin”

The initiative was not followed by consequences and on March 28, 2021, Nikita Mazepin was on the starting grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first of the season. But his race was disastrous: a badly negotiated turn caused him to spin which sent him off the track and forced him to retire. From the third round. His Formula 1 career has barely begun and he is already the laughing stock of fans. The latter give him the nickname “MazeSpin”, a contraction of his name and “spin” which means “to turn” in English. It must be said that counting those in pre-season and in qualifying for this first Grand Prix, the Russian is already six spins. Jokes and memes ridiculing him pile up. A site counting all his skids during the season is even created.

In the end, his mediocrity almost made him likable. From a hothead hated by everyone, Nikita Mazepin has become a character we love to mock. Many strive to support him by asserting that he is not responsible for the choices of the government of his country. Helmut Marko, a former driver who became an executive for the Red Bull Racing team (which includes the 2021 world champion Max Verstappen among its riders), defended the young Russian. “It is not necessary to exclude him because of his nationality”, he said, comparing his case with that of world number 1 tennis player Daniil Medvedev who was not ruled out. With this difference that he did not reach the top level thanks to the help of a company close to the Kremlin…