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Will Nikita Mazepin Be in F1 by the End of the Week?

With the beginning of the 2022 season right around the corner, Mazepin's future in Formula 1 is looking shaky.
Mazepin could be banned 11 photos
Photo: Haas F1 Team on Facebook
Haas VF-22Haas VF-22Haas VF-22Haas VF-22Nikita MazepinHaas F1 team drops Russian sponsor from livery for final day of pre-season testingHaas F1 team drops Russian sponsor from livery for final day of pre-season testingHaas F1 team drops Russian sponsor from livery for final day of pre-season testingHaas F1 team drops Russian sponsor from livery for final day of pre-season testingHaas F1 team drops Russian sponsor from livery for final day of pre-season testing
This past week, the whole world was shocked after the Russian attack on Ukraine. The hostilities are still going on, and countries of the world took action against Russia. Most of the time, sports go hand in hand with politics, so Russian athletes and teams are getting banned from major competitions.

FIFA and UEFA decided in a meeting that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, will be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions. Last week, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) announced that the 2022 Russian Grand Prix would not be held within the current conditions.

In addition, the final day of Barcelona testing saw Haas remove all the Uralkali branding from their cars, choosing to run a plain white livery. Uralkali is a fertilizer producer in which Nikita's billionaire father, Dmitry, is a significant holder. That is why Mazepin has a race seat in Formula 1, as he is a so-called paid driver.

Now the tables are turned, as Team Principal of Haas F1 Team, Guenther Steiner, has announced that Mazepin's place isn't secured. The FAU (Ukraine Automobile Federation) has urged the FIA to ban all drivers from Russia or Belarus from racing outside their home country. If the FIA agrees, the American team will have a new driver for 2022.

The favorite driver to take the spot would be the team's reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi, who made his debut for Haas back in 2020 when he took part in two races. replacing Romain Grosjean after his horrific crash in Bahrain.

Pietro has a good heritage as the grandson of two-time Formula One world champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Besides F1, he was involved with IndyCar Series and World Endurance Championship.

In the following days, FIA will conclude about Mazepin's future. Hopefully, the conflict will stop as well.
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About the author: Silvian Irimia
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Silvian may be the youngest member of our team, being born in the 2000s, but you won't find someone more passionate than him when it comes to motorsport. An automotive engineer by trade, Silvian considers the Ferrari F50 his favorite car, with the original Lamborghini Countach a close second.
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