I lost my dreams I had been working on it for 18 years: Russia's Mazepin on F1 exit

Agencies | Moscow

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The past two weeks have not been easy for Russian sportspersons as the sporting world is currently adopting strict action against their homeland following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

After F1 terminated their contract with the Russian Grand Prix with immediate effect, the Haas F1 team also sacked Russian driver Nikita Mazepin from their outfit and ended their title partnership with Russian sponsor Urakali. Following the axing, the 23-year old driver has revealed that he lost his lifelong dream and that he was not prepared for this situation.

Nikita Mazepin in agony after Haas sacking

While speaking to the media for the first time since he lost his F1 seat, Nikita Mazepin said, "I value relationships a lot. I believe that F1 is a unique sport because it is very much about team building and this chemistry that you have ongoing between your male and female colleagues to get the car in a position where it can do well. I was very disappointed because of the way it was handled."

The 23-year old Russian driver went on to add that he had no contact from Haas F1 team boss Gunther Steiner since the Barcelona test concluded and that he was of the impression that he would not lose his seat. Moreover, Mazepin also added that he was told about the sacking at the same time when the information was released to the press.

Mazepin also went on to add that his sacking had resulted in him losing his trust for the Haas F1 team and that he was not sure if he was keen on returning to the sport because he did not feel wanted.

"I'd like to think I'm a young man at 23, and I was not ready for it. I didn't receive any hint or any support to say that this is a decision we've taken, it's going to go live in 15 minutes, just be ready for it. I obviously had a lot of messages from people, and I just learned at the same time as you guys did," said the Russian driver. As for his future, the 23-year old added,

Russia-Ukraine war enters day 14th

Despite the massive sanctions imposed on Russia by global powers, Moscow shows no signs of relenting in its pursuit of conquering Ukraine. Wednesday marks the 14th day of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, a crisis that has resulted in massive destruction across major cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, with several innocent civilians losing their lives.