“Worst Should Be Through”
Haas Team Principal Talks Mazepin Separation
By Felix Görner and Emmanuel Schneider
03/11/2022, 8:39 p.m
The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine also affects Formula 1. The Haas racing team in particular has serious problems and is parting ways with its main sponsor and its Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin. Team boss Günther Steiner speaks in an ntv interview about hard weeks and the consequences without alternative.
Turbulent days lie behind the Haas Formula 1 racing team. After Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the team parted ways with the main Russian sponsor, Uralkali, and the pilot, Nikita Mazepin. “The last two or three weeks have been quite exhausting and tedious,” sums up team boss Günther Steiner in the RTL / ntv interview. Despite all the hustle and bustle, he hasn’t lost his sense of humor. “The worst should be over. It can only go up. We’re always good for a surprise when there’s drama.”
Steiner sees the separation of Mazepin and Uralkali as absolutely no alternative. The day after the Russian invasion, he and team owner Gene Haas immediately started thinking about the consequences for the team and the cooperation at breakfast. For him it was clear: “You have to draw conclusions.” But it took a few days before they said goodbye – which Mazepin described as “not fair”. “There was no legal reason that would have enabled the team to terminate my contract,” Mazepin said on Wednesday.
Steiner finds it “difficult to say” whether he sees Mazepin as a victim and feels sorry for him. He is “always sorry when you have to do something like that.” Steiner continues: “The external circumstances that neither I nor he can change are just the way they are. You have to live with that and keep going. I see it as part of life.”
Several sponsors in conversation
Haas wants to tick off the topic and look ahead. But with ex-sponsor Uralkali there are still legal problems. In a statement, the company demanded money back from Haas and called the Haas decision “unreasonable”. “It’s a very complex topic, even for legal experts,” says Steiner, admitting that Haas will “lose some money for sure.” However, the team boss emphasizes: “The team is financially stable. You don’t have to worry about the team. That’s the most important thing for me.” Haas has not yet landed a new sponsor, but Steiner reveals that talks are currently being held with several interested parties.
Another drama worries. Due to cargo problems, the cars and spare parts reached Bahrain late. The team around Mick Schumacher and the new driver Kevin Magnussen started the final test drives in the desert with a delay. Every test minute counts there. It is now clear that the drivers are allowed to drive longer on Friday and Saturday. There was previously an extra shift on Sunday in the room, but other teams had protested. “Half a day on Sunday would have been better for us,” explains Steiner. “The boys are tired, one of them had to work 30 hours straight. As the days get longer, the nights get shorter. That’s why it would have been better for us to catch up on Sunday.”
Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen will be out on the track in the new car on Friday and Saturday. His feeling tells him that the car is better than last year, said the team boss. One problem: “We still have too many teething problems when testing,” says Steiner. “I hope we can finally get going properly.” Shortly afterwards there was bad news again: the exhaust of Schumacher’s VF-22 went on strike and slowed down the German pilot. Everything should get better in 2022, “go up”, as Steiner said. So far, Haas has been unlucky.