The Russian gymnast was shocked. He “improved” his jersey with the letter Z, standing next to the Ukrainian
However, as for the imaginary book with the most bizarre reactions of the Russians to the war in Ukraine, Mazepin deserves at least an honorable mention. The 23-year-old native of Moscow was fired from the Haas stable due to his country’s bloody invasion of his neighbors, which he considers wronged. Nikita was not lazy and decided to actively defend himself against “Western demagoguery”.
“Isn’t neutrality a sport?” Mazepin asked urgently during an online press conference announcing the establishment of a foundation for all athletes who were banned from racing “just because of their passport.” According to the blonde Russian F1 driver, the political views of the athletes belong to privacy, not to the public forum.
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“Should an athlete be punished for that? Do we want sport to become just another space for protests and political debates? We all know of cases, such as the 1980 Olympics, when a generation of athletes lost their dream of performing at the Games because some countries boycotted another country, “Mazepin recalled of the Moscow Olympics and the non-participation of Western expeditions. The boycott of the following games in Los Angeles for a change by the Eastern bloc was silent.
Money from an influential dad
The problem is that in light of the dire events in Ukraine, for which Russia has a clear responsibility, Mazepin’s worries and complaints are somewhat extraterrestrial. While innocent people die every day, the rich Russian racer resembles a spoiled child to whom they suddenly took their favorite toy.
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And to some extent it is. Mazepin would never have made it to Formula 1 without his father Dmitri’s money. This influential oligarch is the head of the Uralchem concern, one of Russia’s largest fertilizer producers. At first he tried to win a place for his son in F1 simply by buying the Force India stable, but he was overtaken by Lawrence Stroll, another billionaire father.
Mazepin senior thus poured enough money into the Haas team, in whose colors Nikita left last season. Of course, his car was not very competitive, but the Russian young man showed several times that riding to the highest level is simply not enough.
Source: Youtube
Due to the frequent filming, he got the mocking nickname “MazeSpin” in the wild hours and became the target of many jokes. Let us recall, for example, a photo of a luxury yacht pierced on a cliff, accompanied by the text “Mazepin has arrived in Monaco”.
Opponents were not thrilled with his unpredictable Easter. “As I approach it, I’m two hundred percent more careful than other riders,” said Esteban Ocon.
Angry Clarkson
That’s why his latest remarks embarrass and resent, as Mazepin generally pays for the product of protection and behind-the-scenes pressures. Jeremy Clarkson, a famous moderator of motoring shows, for example, spoke quite clearly. “You fucking retarde. Go race alone to Russia. Even so, you would lose, “the eloquent Briton wrote on Twitter.
Nikita Mazepin. You fucking retard. Go and race in Russia on your own. You’d still lose.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) February 24, 2022
Mazepin sees it differently and wants to defend himself against the expulsion from Haas. In the meantime, he will use the sponsorship money from his father’s company to fund his foundation for “disabled” athletes. He did not comment on the war in Ukraine during his press conference, but only said that it was a “painful period” for everyone.
“Those who were not born here or do not live here see only part of the problem. We from Russia or Ukraine perceive many more levels, “he shifted from the question of Putin’s aggression.
