Sanctioned Russian F1 driver Nikita Mazepin's former boss once said people in the sport 'hate' him
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Will Martin
Mar 11, 2022, 20:13 IST
Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner was heard expressing his exasperation at Mazepin.Dan Mullan/Getty Images; Dan Istitene/Getty Images
A new Netflix documentary shows Nikita Mazepin complaining about Haas cars.
It prompted Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner to say: "That's why people hate you."
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The team boss of the former Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin once said that people in the sport hated him after he made a number of complaints about his Haas car.
Mazepin, who is Russian, raced for Haas F1 last season, but was dumped by the team ahead of the 2022 season. While the team did not explicitly state its reasons for firing Mazepin, a statement confirming his departure made reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Haas struggled in the 2021 season. The team had by far the slowest car on the grid, Mazepin had a particularly difficult time, frequently being outqualified and outraced by his teammate Mick Schumacher.
In the season's fourth episode, which focuses on Haas, Mazepin is frequently seen complaining that the team is not following his wishes, and even suggesting that his teammate's car is faster than his own.
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"It is simply undriveable," he says of the car during the episode.
At one point, Mazepin's complaints, and rudeness on the team radio, lead Haas team boss Guenther Steiner to exasperatedly exclaim: "Fucking hell. That's why people hate you."
"This fucking shit here," Steiner continues while sitting on the pit wall. It does not appear he directly addressed his comment to Mazepin.
Mazepin has been a controversial figure in F1 as soon as he arrived. His time in the sport came largely as a result of his father Dmitry's company, Uralkali, sponsoring Haas.
The EU declared Dmitry Mazepin "a member of the closest circle" of Putin allies, and said his chemicals business was providing "substantial revenue" to the Russian government.
"Nikita Mazepin is the son of Dmitry Arkadievich Mazepin, General Director of JSC UCC Uralchem," the EU document said. Uralchem is a conglomerate that part-owns Uralkali, among other companies.
"As Uralchem sponsors Haas F1 Team, Dmitry Mazepin is the major sponsor of his son's activities at Haas F1 Team. He is a natural person associated with a leading businessperson [his father] involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Ukraine."
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