Formula 1: More ‘suspected crashing out problems’ in Imola?

Nikita Mazepin is set for another try to complete more than two turns in a Formula 1 race this weekend in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

If there was ever a situation where the sequel couldn’t possibly be any worse than the original, that situation would be the Formula 1 career of Nikita Mazepin, or so we would hope.

His Formula 1 debut at Bahrain International Circuit last month was a disaster from start to finish. The only positive note was the fact that he managed to complete two turns in the race — you know, as opposed to one or maybe zero, or even crashing on the formation lap(s).

He spun out in preseason testing at the 15-turn, 3.363-mile (5.412-kilometer) road course in Sakhir, Bahrain, and he then spun in two separate practice sessions at the track ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

In his first ever Formula 1 qualifying attempt, he qualified in 20th (last) place and was nowhere near fellow rookie Mick Schumacher, his Haas teammate, for 19th on the grid.

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He did so after not only spinning out twice in the first round of qualifying but after violating the “gentlemen’s agreement” when he passed several cars on the final sector of their out lap toward the end of the round.

Then just moments after lights out on race day, he found himself spinning out on his own before completing the third turn on the opening lap. It marked his sixth spin at the track over just eight different sessions, and he failed to complete more than two turns of the actual race there.

Sky Sports F1 commentators David Croft and Martin Brundle may not have been as easy on him as they generally are for other rookie drivers in the field, but their comments were all completely justified.

Croft repeated the “Mazespin” joke during qualifying, and Brundle’s hilarious response to his first-lap spin was one for the ages.

Then there was Croft’s race summary as the laps wound down later in the event.

“We’ve lost Fernando Alonso with suspected brake problems, and Nikita Mazepin with suspected crashing out problems, from this race,” said Croft toward the end of the 56-lap race.

Yes. “Suspected”.

Will there be more “suspected crashing out problems” for the 22-year-old Russian in his second attempt to drive a Formula 1 car with 19 of the world’s best drivers in this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the 21-turn, 3.05-mile (4.908-kilometer) Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari road course in Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy?

There is no reason for it. More than likely, Mazepin will qualify at the back again regardless, so it would make no sense for him to end up pointed backwards multiple times just to get to that point like he did in Bahrain.

And qualifying at the back means starting at the back, so again, he should be in no position to take himself out at Tamburello.

If he manages to have a second race that was nearly as disastrous as his first, use your imagination as to what the reaction may be.

Already, the same fans calling for him to be fired by the team after his Instagram incident last December are thanking Haas for keeping him on purely from the entertainment/embarrassment point of view.

Turn that up to eleven if he goes two for two.

ESPN is set to broadcast the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix live from Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, April 18.