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Russian Formula 1 driver Masepin hands out heavily after being kicked out

Ein a dig at Mick Schumacher, no clear statement about his father’s closeness to Putin and an idiosyncratic view of the war in Ukraine: the Russian Nikita Masepin took a stand at the Haas racing team after being thrown out and sees himself as the victim of a great injustice. “I lost my dream, which I fought for 18 years of my life,” said Masepin on Wednesday: “I don’t think that’s fair.”

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One day before the start of the final test drives in Bahrain, the 23-year-old sat in Moscow and presented his view of things in a one-hour video meeting. “Do we want the sport to become just another stage for protests and political debates?” Masepin asked at the beginning and dared to compare it with the Olympic boycotts of the 1980s: “Or is sport an opportunity to connect people in the most difficult times?”

The togetherness was soon over. A sweeping attack on his former companions followed. It also hit his former teammate Schumacher. Some drivers like George Russell, Valtteri Bottas or Charles Leclerc would have sent him encouraging messages. On the other hand, he had heard nothing from Schumacher. “In situations like these, your true self shows,” said Masepin, who had a divided relationship with the German during the 2021 season.

The anger about Günther Steiner is even greater. Masepin accused the team boss of insincerity. You could always rely on Steiner’s word “110 percent,” said Masepin. He then found out about his termination without warning when the decision was published last Saturday. Since then there has been no contact with Steiner.

“Is there no place for neutrality in sport?”

Masepin does not see a basis for his dismissal – and does not rule out legal action: “We are keeping all our options open.” flag allowed. “Is there no place for neutrality in sport?” he asked.

But there are doubts about this at Masepin. His billionaire father Dmitri is the majority shareholder in Uralkali – the Russian mining company was the main sponsor at Haas – and has excellent connections to the Kremlin. For the US racing team, the proximity to President Vladimir Putin was no longer justifiable after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Masepin ignored questions about his father’s Kremlin connection. He only commented briefly on the war – and denied the West the sovereignty of interpretation. “Those who do not live in this part of the world or were not born here” would see only part of the conflict. People from Russia and Ukraine would understand him on many more levels.

He has clear ideas about his future. “The Formula 1 chapter is not over for me,” said Masepin, who only ruled out a return to Haas. He also announced the creation of a foundation. This is intended to support athletes who “for political reasons and without their control have lost the opportunity to compete at the highest level.”

Haas announced on Wednesday evening that he would start the new season with Kevin Magnussen as Mick Schumacher’s teammate. Magnussen has therefore signed a multi-year contract and will already be used in the tests, which take place from Thursday to Saturday. In addition to Schumacher, backup driver Pietro Fittipaldi is still part of the Haas squad. The new season also begins in Bahrain on March 20th.

“We were looking for a driver who would bring added value and lots of Formula 1 experience to the team,” said team boss Günther Steiner. On Thursday, Fittipaldi will initially be at the wheel of the Haas, with Schumacher and Magnussen taking over for the two following days. “I was very surprised and very pleased about the call from the team,” said the Dane. In addition to Magnussen and Fittipaldi, Nico Hülkenberg was also traded for the Haas cockpit. According to SID information, the German did not go beyond an initial contact conversation.

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