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Although no longer sanctioned by the European Union, Nikita Mazepin will not be returning to Formula One anytime soon.
The sanctions were imposed in March 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as his father Dmitry Mazepin is an oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin. Haas F1 Team, who had title sponsorship from the older Mazepin’s Uralkali during his son’s one-year stint in the series, fired him nine days into the full-scale war.
In March, the General Court overturned the penalties after ruling there was little reason to keep him sanctioned since he was no longer employed by Haas. Although Mazepin was considered 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 destabilisation of Ukraine,” the Court also determined that simply being related to someone within Putin’s inner circle was insufficient reasoning to justify the sanctions.
Mazepin confirmed his removal from the EU’s sanctions on Wednesday. In a post to his social media, he expressed his relief at being cleared but added it is too late to consider an F1 return.
“It has been more than two long years, and the courts have rendered their decision in my favor,” he wrote. “Of course, I am elated. At the same time, I ask myself what was it all for – to be sanctioned at a vital point in my career, only to have the European court decide that it was all a giant mistake.
“Many of you have asked what is next for me.
“Time puts things in perspective. And I have had plenty of time to think about both my past and my future. I think I can now say that the first act of my life was really shaped by and dedicated to trying to be the best in motorsport. The love of speed. The thrill of competition. Working my way up through karting, then F3 and F2. The chase for a seat in Formula 1. And, in part, that dream was fulfilled and I had the taste of that world, and loved it. For real. That season was hard, and I had to take some public knocks. But I was living on the promise of the next season, with a new car, and a little experience under my belt.
“As we all know, that season didn’t happen. The reasons – we also all know. And that was the abrupt end to my Act 1. It has been painful to watch everyone at F1 moving forward and to not be a part of it. Vindication in the courts is sweet, but the truth is that I can’t get those years back… those essential years in the life and development of any professional athlete.
“Which leaves me now, at the ripe old age of 25, realizing it is time to look forward, not back. The time has come to write the next act of my life as an adult, with dreams tied, not to speed and trophies, but to applying my mind, and to finding my purpose. This will come with completing my education, working hard, and taking good care of my spirit along the way.
“I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me – and even to those who have not throughout my time in motor racing. It has all made me stronger.
“So, while you will not be seeing a return to Formula 1 for me, I will be happy to share news with you on my next steps.”
2021 was Mazepin’s lone season in F1, where he struggled in his new setting as he failed to score any points with a best finish of fourteenth in Baku. As he noted in his post, Haas had been preparing to make upgrades to their car for 2022, with the 2021 challenger being the same as its predecessor save for some modifications to comply with rule changes. Nevertheless, his performance was widely ridiculed by many and criticism of his employment intensified after the invasion until the team finally terminated his contract.
After being dropped by Haas, he launched the “We Compete as One” foundation to support Russian athletes who were barred from international competition post-invasion. Mazepin himself also fell under his criteria since the FIA also imposed restrictions that stipulated Russian and Belarusian drivers must agree to condemn the war and not use their country’s emblems in order to take part in races under their watch.
Although Mazepin was already in F1 with a neutral banner due to Russia’s doping scandal, he refused to comply with the former caveat at first, claiming it unnecessarily politicises sport and punishes athletes for their government’s actions. He eventually agreed to the terms in 2023 in order to compete in the Asian Le Mans Series, where he finished fourth in the LMP2 standings for 99 Racing. The team returned to ALMS the following season, winning two of the first three races before Mazepin missed the rest of the calendar for illness.
Besides sports cars, his racing activities have heavily included cross-country rally too. He raced in the Russian Rally-Raid Championship in 2022 and won that year’s Silk Way Rally in the T3 category, then made one-off starts in 2023 and 2024 that included winning his class at the Russian Rally-Raid Cup‘s Denis Davydov Baja in August. Mazepin has also been open about racing the Dakar Rally if possible.
In June, Mazepin returned to Europe to test a GT3 car at Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary. He has also dabbled in motorcycle and quad racing.
Speculation about a comeback previously circulated when Hitech Grand Prix expressed plans to start an F1 programme for the 2026 season; they had fielded Formula 2 and 3 cars for Mazepin while his father allegedly continued to provide funding for the outfit in secret. In August, reports suggested Hitech could look into merging with Alpine F1 Team amidst a restructuring at the latter that included Hitech principal Oliver Oakes becoming the new Alpine boss, which could also open the door for Mazepin should the rumours prove true. Of course, Mazepin’s statement Wednesday poured cold water on that.
