In recent months, many Russian athletes have been left without contracts with foreign sponsors and teams. At the same time, in most cases, these stories passed without scandals: the parties could rigidly define their positions, but no one wanted to spoil relations forever.

However, some stories of this kind turned into real scandals. One of the most striking examples is the case of Nikita Mazepin. The Russian Formula 1 driver was humiliated from the American team even though he agreed to make concessions. But, as it turned out, Haas did not stop there.

The Americans threw the racer for a million dollars. But the team received their money … from his father.

Won’t slip?

The scandalous story of Nikita Mazepin and the American team “Haas” originates in early March. Due to the difficult political situation, the bosses decided to quickly get rid of the Russian. Before that, the driver even agreed to sign the new FIA requirements and actually renounce his country. However, this circumstance did not stop the Americans – and therefore the dismissal of the athlete looked doubly humiliating.

“The Haas team has decided to immediately terminate the title partnership with Uralkali and the contract with Nikita Mazepin,” the team said in an official statement.

As a result, before the start of the championship, the Russian was left without a job, and Uralkali, which had invested several million dollars in the development of the team, did not receive dividends.

Nikita tried in every possible way to challenge his dismissal, but to no avail. The Americans behaved like natural swindlers. First, they refused to return $13 million to Uralkali, owned by Mazepin’s father, and then demanded another $8.6 million from the company as “lost profits.”

Nikita Mazepin / Photo: © Lars Baron / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

They acted ugly with the pilot and in the association of Formula 1 racers. A day after the dismissal, Nikita was removed from the general chat in one of the messengers without explanation. According to the Russian, only a few pilots supported him in this difficult situation.

“They still haven’t paid their salaries”

Recently it became known that the confrontation between Haas and Mazepin is far from over and continues in court. In an interview, Nikita admitted that the team has not yet paid him the money due under the contract. According to data from April last year, Mazepin’s salary was $ 1 million a year – the pilot did not count these funds.

– When the contract was terminated, Haas had salary arrears to me for this year. And they still haven’t paid it. It seems to me that the employer, at a minimum, should compensate for the salary until the moment of dismissal and, probably, pay some kind of severance pay. And when the whole world kicked you somewhere … it’s probably wrong. But that’s just my opinion. I’m just talking about the fact that contractual obligations were not fulfilled. This time. You also need to understand that we had two independent contracts. And breaking the agreement with the title sponsor (Uralkali) did not have a direct impact on my future in the team. So they made two separate decisions. I didn’t see my money, ”the pilot said in an interview with the Championship.

Nikita Mazepin / Photo: © picture alliance / Contributor / picture alliance / Gettyimages.com

Mazepin also said that he had already applied to the court and intended to return legally earned money. While this case is being investigated, Haas is stubbornly silent on the situation with the payment of the contract, and it looks, at least, ugly.

This behavior of the American team frankly smacks of fraud. At the same time, even the leaders of Formula 1 behave much more decently. There, for example, they are going to pay all the costs to Rosgonka for the canceled Russian Grand Prix.