Nikita Mazepin: Fired Russian F1 driver declares fund to assist different excluded athletes

Uralkali mentioned individually it had already paid many of the now-terminated 2022 title sponsorship to Haas and can be searching for quick compensation whereas additionally reserving the proper to assert damages.

“In conditions like this you possibly can see the true face of all people round you,” mentioned the Russian, who had a number of moments of pressure along with his crew mate final 12 months after being out-performed by the German.

Others, together with Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, had despatched “quite simple” private messages of assist, he added.

“They understand how vital the game is to them, to their lives. They supported me in feeling for me for shedding that chance to compete,” Mazepin mentioned. “Nothing political. Simply private, hold your head up.

“It was simply what I imagine human being ought to do.”

He didn’t talk about the struggle or politics.

System One’s governing physique, the FIA, has mentioned Russian and Belarusian drivers may nonetheless participate in competitions in a impartial capability.

Mazepin mentioned he had supposed to try this, citing the instance of tennis participant Daniil Medvedev who has been allowed to proceed taking part in, however not below the Russian flag.

He mentioned he had not given up his desires of competing in System One, would keep in race situation prepared for any alternative and had no plan to hunt a license from one other nation.

The inspiration, whose identify echoes F1’s “We Race as One” initiative to advertise variety and equal rights, would begin by serving to Russian Paralympic athletes despatched residence from the Beijing Video games, he added.

“The inspiration will allocate sources … to these athletes who’ve spent their lives getting ready for Olympics or Paralympics or different high occasions solely to seek out they have been forbidden from competing and collectively punished simply due to the passports they held,” he mentioned.

Mazepin, who would have been Russia’s sole F1 driver this 12 months and whose profession has been funded by his father, mentioned the inspiration deliberate to assist athletes from all battle zones.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to sanctions throughout international sport, and Belarus, a key staging space for the full-scale invasion, has additionally been punished.