Haas: First call would go to Fittipaldi if Mazepin cannot race in F1
Haas Formula 1 boss Gunther Steiner says the team would call on Pietro Fittipaldi to step in for Nikita Mazepin if he cannot race amid doubts over the Russian’s future.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, Haas announced it would be removing the branding of title sponsor Uralkali from its car ahead of the final day of testing in Barcelona.
The team’s livery typically resembles the colours of the Russian flag, but was replaced with an all-white design on Friday.
Uralkali is co-owned by Mazepin’s father, Dmitry, and has backed his racing career through to F1 and the Russian company has served as Haas’s title sponsor since Mazepin joined the team in 2021.
Mazepin took part in the morning session as planned on Friday, but team boss Steiner confirmed in a press call that his future “needs to be resolved”. The team is set to review its relationship with Uralkali next week amid the ongoing crisis.
Speaking to US journalist Bob Varsha for Speed City Broadcasting, Steiner said that, if Mazepin was unable to drive, the team would turn to reserve driver Fittipaldi to step in.
“If Nikita couldn’t drive for one or another reason, the first call would go to Pietro,” said Steiner.
“Obviously, he [has been] with us for a few years, and then we would see what we do next.
“But I mean Pietro is always around with us for a reason. The last years, we needed a reserve driver, having COVID around, so he is always around.
“He knows the team, he knows the car to jump in for one day to the other. There is nobody better than Pietro around at the moment.”
Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-22
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Fittipaldi has made two F1 starts with Haas, both of which came at the end of the 2020 season when he deputised for Romain Grosjean in Sakhir and Abu Dhabi following the Frenchman’s fiery accident in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Brazilian driver most recently drove a Haas F1 car during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, getting behind the wheel of its VF-21 model for a day of running at Yas Marina.
In a post to his social media accounts on Friday, Mazepin wrote that it was “a difficult time” and he was “not in control over a lot of what is being said and done”.
“I'm choosing to focus on what I CAN control by working hard and doing my best for my Haas F1 Team,” Mazepin wrote. “My deepest thanks for your understanding and support.”
Steiner noted during his press call that “not everything depends on us here” with regards to Mazepin’s future, saying there were “governments involved and I have no power over them”.
Related video
Leclerc spots blip in ability of 2022 F1 cars to follow closely
What the revolutionary new breed of Formula 1 cars feel like to drive
Zhou focused on Alfa Romeo stay in F1 2023 silly season
Zhou Guanyu says his focus lies with retaining his Formula 1 seat at Alfa Romeo for 2023 ahead of talks about his future after the summer break.
Hamilton: I'll end my F1 career before I'm completely burnt out
Lewis Hamilton intends to remain in Formula 1 while he still has “fuel in the tank” but says he won’t push until he is “completely burnt out” before retiring.
Why Piastri's attempt to join McLaren carries implications of risk
After the 2006 Formula 1 British GP, Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony was a frustrated man, despite his son - at the time a star in GP2 - having just scored a memorable double win in that weekend's feature and sprint events.
Alpine: Ocon has what it takes to lead the F1 team in 2023
Alpine Formula 1 boss Otmar Szafnauer believes that Esteban Ocon has what it takes to lead the team following Fernando Alonso’s departure at the end of this season.
Why few could blame Leclerc for following the example of Hamilton’s exit bombshell
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last