Nikita Mazepin sues Haas and wants to go to court. But he would like to return to Formula 1 in the future

The American team Haas fired its Russian driver Nikita Mazepin just before the season because of Russian aggression, which culminated in a huge conflict. Now, however, Mazepin has sued Haas, allegedly over unpaid money for the previous season.

Just days before the start of the new Formula 1 season, the American Haas stable got rid of not only the Russian driver Mazepin, but also his father, along with the entire Uralkali company.

Uralkali interfered very significantly in the colouring of the Haas monoposto, while its overall contribution was not so huge. Mazepin’s company accounted for only 20% of the team’s budget. One of the main reasons for this was Mazepin’s ties to President Putin; moreover, already after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Dmitry Mazepin accepted an invitation to the President, which Haas could not ignore.

The American team then announced its replacement for the Russian pilot in the form of Kevin Magnussen. The Danish driver had already produced a great result in the first race of the season in Bahrain, crossing the finish line fifth in the standings.

But now Nikita Mazepin has decided to sue Haas over unpaid wages.

“When the contract was terminated, Haas was owed wages and still hasn’t paid them. It seems to me that the employer should at least pay the wages up to the time of termination and probably pay some severance pay. The contractual obligations have not been met,” Mazepin said in an interview with the Russian daily Championat.

“It should also be remembered that we had two separate contracts. And the termination of the contract with the main sponsor (Uralkali) had no direct impact on my future in the team. I mean, they made two separate decisions. I didn’t see my money, so we’ll go to court,” he continues.

The 23-year-old Russian added later in the interview that he had nonetheless found sympathy with the other riders and several of them had supported him via text message. There were also some names from the top five riders.

The former Haas driver also weighed in on the subject of his future, expressing his desire to return to Formula One one day. However, should that not happen, he is said to be open to other competitions such as the Dakar Rally or the Silk Road Rally.

Sources: Planet F1, Championat