Russian oligarch Dmytro Mazepin threatened the leadership of the Formula 1 team to deprive them of funding due to the failures of his son Nikita on the race track. This is discussed in the Netflix documentary “Formula 1: drive to survive,”
KYIV. UkraineGate. 19 . July . 2022 | Political News .
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In 2021, the title sponsor of the “Haas” team became the company “Uralkali”, headed by Mazepin. As part of the sponsorship agreement, the son of the Russian oligarch Nikita took the place of one of the team’s pilots. At the same time, another young driver – Mick Schumacher – was taken to the team. As the creators of the film note, before that, “Haas” did not accept newcomers.
Unlike Schumacher, Mazepin Jr. could not show a decent result on the track and was constantly inferior to his colleague. In addition, the car of the oligarch’s son was repeatedly taken off the track. The team’s coaches called Mazepin a “walking disaster” and recognized that “Haas” would go bankrupt due to Nikita’s accidents.”
The pilot himself did not see his fault in the failures and blamed everything on the team and his car, constantly asking to replace it. The elder Mazepin was dissatisfied with his son’s results, but he did not see it as his fault either. In one of the conversations with the coach, Dmytro Mazepin threatened to deprive the team of funding if the situation did not improve.
Quote
“If nothing changes, I will send an official letter to stop funding the race. There will be huge problems with money. Maybe it will speed up the process. Because we are tired of putting up with your “try better”, “try again”. If Uralkali leaves, there will be no races. Change the cars,” Mazepin said.
It should be noted that Mazepin’s pressure on the team was felt immediately after “Uralkali” became its sponsor: the Russian tricolor became the corporate colors of “Haas”.
He was included in the list as a public figure who did not give up his connection with Uralkali. According to political expert Volodymyr Tsibulka, the sanctions of the children of Russian politicians and oligarchs is a justified step, because “in the case of the Russian Federation, children and parents are accomplices in the embezzlement of public funds.
Let’s add
As reported by the Daily Mail, in April, Nikita Mazepin’s villa on the island of Sardinia was seized.
The value of the seized assets was about 105 million euros. The villa, called Rocky Ram, was bought in 2012 from an Italian newspaper editor. The sumptuous gardens surrounding the villa are known to overlook the Mediterranean Sea, and the grounds feature sculptures, fountains and a swimming pool.
The financial police reported that the property was registered in the name of 23-year-old Nikita Mazepin and his father, Dmytro Mazepin.
Source: Ukrgate