Dan Istitene
Mick Schumacher says the controversy surrounding his 2021 Haas team mate is nothing to do with me .
It is believed fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin is at risk of being ousted by the small American team following a backlash by sponsors, media and fans.
The 21-year-old Russian is under fire for a social media post that allegedly depicted him groping a female friend. This is nothing to do with me, Schumacher, who has also been signed up by Haas for 2021, insisted. I m sure that the team will take care of everything.
Team boss Gunther Steiner has said he is taking the matter very seriously , adding: It is possible you will never hear of a punishment because we want to deal with it privately.
Steiner defends Mazepin choice, ‘Lauda was pay driver’
Date published:
December 21 2020
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner doesn’t understand the criticism surrounding pay drivers, saying even Niki Lauda was one.
Haas chose to go with an all-rookie line-up for 2021 made up of F2 Champion Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, who finished P5 in the final standings.
Mazepin was a surprising choice for the second seat, with many speculating that he got it due to his billionaire father Dmitry Mazepin and what he could potentially bring to the Haas team financially.
But Steiner doesn’t understand the criticism surrounding pay drivers, highlighting several names on the Formula 1 grid who made it into the sport via this route.
Nikita Mazepin Doesn t Deserve A Formula 1 Seat
Photo: Haas F1
Russian racing driver Nikita Dmitryevich Mazepin, 21, was signed by the Haas Formula 1 team a week ago to drive one of its cars for the 2021 season. On December 1st, Mazepin, who finished fifth in the 2020 FIA Formula 2 points standings and won two races, thanked the team for putting its trust in him. One week later, that trust was betrayed, and the reputation of the team, as well as the whole of Formula 1, was put at risk by his actions.
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In a video since deleted posted to Mazepin’s Instagram stories at approximately 4:30 in the morning local UAE time, the young Russian filmed himself in the passenger seat of a moving car reaching into the back seat to grope a visibly intoxicated woman. The woman tries to block this action and crosses her arms in front of herself to prevent him from doing this.
F1 Driver Apologizes for Instagram Groping Video newsmax.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newsmax.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.