Formula 1: Nikita Mazepin did not let the fans down

It proved too good to be true in the final lap of Sunday’s race at Imola when Formula 1 rookie Nikita Mazepin finally spun out.

After the opening practice session for this past weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari saw rookie Nikita Mazepin spin out twice, it looked as though it would be another disastrous Formula 1 race for the 22-year-old Russian.

Those two spins followed a disastrous season-opening weekend at Bahrain International Circuit three weeks prior, where he spun out twice in practice, twice in qualifying and then once again after completing just two turns on the opening lap of the race.

But to the surprise of many, Mazepin kept it relatively clean from that point forward.

The Haas driver managed not to spin out in the second or third practice sessions at Imola, marking a big step forward.

More from Formula One

• Formula 1: Top Red Bull threat identified for 2024
• Formula 1: Why the Max Verstappen retirement obsession?
• Formula 1: Williams ‘mistake’ hints Logan Sargeant’s future
• Formula 1 awaiting key confirmation for 2024 season
• Formula 1: The ‘championship’ Max Verstappen only leads by 3 points

Mazepin qualified in 19th place out of 20 drivers, as fellow rookie Yuki Tsunoda crashed out and was forced to start in last. But it was a clean P19 result, and a career-high result, despite the fact that he was again more than a half-second off the pace of teammate and fellow rookie Mick Schumacher for a spot on the ninth row.

And perhaps most notably, it marked the first time in his career, including preseason testing, that he had ever gone three consecutive sessions without a spin.

He did, however, ruffle a few feathers with his etiquette toward the end of Q1, namely those of Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi. He passed Giovinazzi late in the session, and the Italian driver claimed that this move, similar to the one he pulled on several drivers late in Q1 for the Bahrain Grand Prix, ruined his lap.

Mazepin dismissed the claims and moved on to the race.

He didn’t have the best start, as he was involved in an opening lap crash for the second consecutive race. But that wreck surprisingly wasn’t his fault, and while the incident did knock Williams’ Nicholas Latifi out of the race, Mazepin was able to keep running.

Even Schumacher spun out shortly thereafter, but Mazepin kept it clean.

However, running two laps down on the final lap of the 63-lap race around the 21-turn, 3.05-mile (4.908-kilometer) Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari road course in Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, his streak ended.

Mazepin had finally spun out.

Some may argue that he delivered what the fans — most fans, anyway — wanted. Even the Sky Sports 1 commentators joked about how it was bound to happen at some point, given the fact that he had already spun out eight times in his career before getting to that point in the race.

For Mazepin, things are looking better, considering how his race went in Imola compared to how his race went — or really didn’t go — in Bahrain.

But he still has a long way to go. Despite the red flag to bunch up the field, he finished well behind Schumacher as the final driver running in 17th place. In fact, he even finished behind Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who actually retired his car.

ESPN is set to broadcast the next race on the schedule, the Portuguese Grand Prix, live from Algarve International Circuit (Portimao) beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 2. Look out for the over/under on Mazepin’s spin total throughout the weekend soon.