Formula 1: Indication that Nikita Mazepin isn’t getting fired

While it remains subject to change, the inclusion of Nikita Mazepin on the initial FIA entry list for the 2021 Formula 1 season and a further statement from Haas indicate that the team don’t plan to fire him.

Just days after being confirmed as a rookie Formula 1 driver for Haas alongside Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher for the 2021 season, Formula 2 driver Nikita Mazepin found himself in hot water, and by his own doing.

A video was posted to his Instagram story of him in the passenger seat of a car turning around and reaching for a woman’s shirt and grabbing her breast as she resisted and flipped off the camera. That woman was tagged in the video and the words “she’s the best” were included as the caption.

After the video went viral, Mazepin apologized for the action and for the fact that the video was shared.

He stated the following, although this apology has since been deleted.

"“I would like to apologise for my recent actions both in terms of my own inappropriate behaviour and the fact that it was posted on social media. I am sorry for the offense I have rightly caused and to the embarrassment I have brought to Haas F1 Team. I have to hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula 1 driver and I acknowledge I have let myself and many people down. I promise I will learn from this.”"

The woman in the video, Andrea D’lVal, interestingly defended him and said that it was nothing more than a joke between the two and that she had been the one to publish the recording.

She stated the following.

"“Hey everyone, I just want to let you know that Nikita and I have been good friends for a long time and there was nothing serious about the video. We trust each other so much and this was a silly way of joking between us. I posted this video on his story as an internal joke. I am truly sorry. I can give you my word he’s really a good person and he would never do anything to hurt or humiliate me.”"

The Haas team released a statement and called the video “abhorrent”, noting that nothing more would be said about the matter as it was being dealt with internally.

They stated the following.

"“Haas F1 Team does not condone the behavior of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media. Additionally, the very fact that the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team. The matter is being dealt with internally and no further comment shall be made at this time.”"

Formula 1 and the FIA released a joint statement supporting the American team, stating the following.

"“We strongly support the Haas F1 Team in its response to the recent inappropriate actions of its driver, Nikita Mazepin. Mazepin has issued a public apology for his poor conduct and this matter will continue to be dealt with internally by the Haas F1 Team. The ethical principles and diverse and inclusive culture of our sport are of the utmost importance to the FIA and Formula 1.”"

But it does not appear as though Haas plan to fire the 21-year-old Russian, despite the fact that what it did goes against the whole basis of the newly introduced #WeRaceAsOne campaign.

Haas admitted from the beginning that they signed Mazepin because of the money brought by his billionaire father Dmitry, and it does not appear that they plan on losing that money which will foreseeably be used to boost the backmarker team.

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While it is always subject to change, the initial FIA entry list, which was revealed before the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit this past Sunday, included Mazepin.

This recent occurrence is only the latest among a plethora of instances of Mazepin acting up, both on track and off track, and Haas team principal Guenther Steiner admitted when the team signed him that they had their work cut out with him. Even that was notably before the groping video was shared.

But this entry list was published several days after the controversy.

While nothing to do with Mazepin specifically has been addressed by the team since the video was published and Mazepin himself has been silent on social media, save for the mass deletion of his tweets, it appears that there are no driver changes in store for 2021, much to the chagrin of most of the fanbase. Many fans had been pulling for Callum Ilott to replace him.

Steiner even recently noted that maybe the public “will never know what was dealt with, and what are the circumstances”, because he could keep it all private.

It would be hard to keep a firing private.

After an 18th place finish in the driver standings as a rookie in the 2019 Formula 2 season competing for ART Grand Prix, Mazepin finished in fifth in this year’s standings with two wins and an additional four podium finishes competing for Hitech Grand Prix. He cost himself fourth in the standings with multiple penalties.