Steiner responds to Mazepin F1 pay driver criticism with Lauda comparison

Mazepin was announced as a Haas driver for 2021 on Tuesday, and while there has been no confirmation of the commercial arrangements, the logos of his father's Uralkali concern are expected to be seen on the car.

With several other sons of wealthy fathers landing seats on the grid, inevitably there has been some scepticism about the choice on social media.

However Steiner insisted it isn't unusual for talented drivers to benefit from financial support, and said Mazepin has already proven his skills in Formula 2, where he lies third in the 2020 championship.

"There's a lot of drivers who get into F1 thanks to financial backing," said Steiner, who revealed talks with Mazepin began last year.

"There are very good drivers in F1 who in the beginning brought a sponsor.

"The first one to call is Checo [Sergio Perez]. Checo came to F1 and it was, 'He's a pay driver.' Look at Checo now, he finished on the podium, he's doing a good job.

"George Russell for me is one of the best drivers, but without the help of Mercedes he wouldn't be anywhere.

"There's a lot of them there. Lance Stroll, he was on the podium. If they are good in F2, and they have a sponsor, that's a perfect solution.

"When I spoke with Niki a long time ago he said, 'I made it into F1 thanks to a bank which sponsored me, so I could go and buy a drive'.

"I think it was BRM at the time. And he was three-times world champion."

Steiner stressed Mazepin's strong F2 form has qualified him for the drive, adding: "I followed him the whole season, what he was doing.

"For sure he had a difficult start, and without that difficult start, he would be fighting for the championship.

"So that is what I see, I can't see any more than that. Results always talk."

When challenged about following fellow wealthy sons Lance Stroll and Nicholas Latifi into F1, Mazepin himself pinpointed their abilities.

"What about them?" he said.

"They're very good professional racing drivers who have both achieved amazing results in their single seater careers."