Racer Nikita Mazepin - RBC: “I don’t really like driving”

After the court's decision to lift EU sanctions , racing driver Nikita Mazepin gave an interview to RBC Sport. He told us what his chances are now of returning to Formula 1, how often he watches the races and why Nikita Mazepin rarely drives outside the track

Nikita Mazepin is the fourth and currently the last Russian to take part in Formula 1 racing. Before him, Vitaly Petrov, Daniil Kvyat and Sergei Sirotkin managed to become the main pilot of the “royal races”.

After the start of the military operation in Ukraine, his Haas team terminated Mazepin’s contract, and he himself came under sanctions from the European Union, Switzerland and Great Britain . In March 2024 , the racer obtained a decision in the EU COURT to lift the sanctions.

Will Nikita Mazepin return to Formula 1?

— The European Court ruled to annul the sanctions against you. How did the fight in court go?

— The process was very long, but it was very important for me. I worked for 18 years to get into Formula 1. I was preparing for the second season. We had high expectations from him. But on March 9 [2022], sanctions were introduced that did not allow me to continue competing in Formula 1. I am very pleased with this court decision. Now we need to wait for implementation.

— In 2022, you filed a lawsuit against your former Haas team and its leader Gunther Steiner. At what stage is this matter now?

— The trial continues. And this case has nothing to do with the decision of the EU Court of Justice. The case has already been considered in arbitration. And we are waiting for a decision, which, I hope, will be made soon.

— Is your case an exception or a rule? Do you advise other Russians to continue the fight?

— Everyone should fight for their rights, regardless of external circumstances. Logically speaking, this is not an exception to the rule. But the statistics after 2000 are very sad. So our case is a precedent.

I think every athlete should fight for their rights. And my charitable foundation helps athletes, using my example, to fight for their rights.

The case of Nikita Mazepin as a precedent

Lawyer at the NSP Law Office Gleb Boyko, in a conversation with RBC, noted that “for the first time in the history of the EU Court, when considering cases on lifting sanctions, it applied interim measures that temporarily lifted some of the restrictions against the applicant.” “This is what is most important for law enforcement practice,” Boyko noted.

Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

At the same time, he said that, despite the importance of the decision, it is hardly worth saying that it is the Mazepin case that will set the tone for other “Russian cases” on sanctions in the EU court. But it contained “an extremely interesting precedent,” the lawyer added.

According to him, the decision of the EU court should help lift the sanctions of Switzerland, which completely copies the European sanctions lists. But it will not lead to the lifting of the restrictions imposed by the UK, since London has a completely independent sanctions policy.

— Your fund has existed since 2022. What are its results?

- I'm pleased with the results. We have more than 125 wards in the fund. About 30 students received their education at Moscow State University, the most prestigious university in the country, which is also my home university. I'm still in graduate school there. So the result is good.

— What are the chances of returning to Formula 1?

“Of course, after the court’s decision, the chances increased sharply. But returning to Formula 1 is not so easy. It's hard to get there, and even harder to get back. But when we first started suing, almost no one believed in success. Therefore, no matter how absurd and funny it may sound now, I believe that my return to Formula 1 is possible. But first we need to achieve the implementation of the court decision.

It's not as simple as it seems. We have an experience last year when we received interim measures and I had to be able to enter the EU countries to speak. But, unfortunately, I was only allowed to enter Italy with a national visa for a medical examination. And, of course, after such a case it was difficult to communicate with any of the teams. The driver is needed in all countries where Formula 1 or other series are present. And if you can only enter Italy, then what can we talk about?

We have now achieved global lifting of sanctions. I hope that the decision to lift the sanctions will not take long and that I will have exactly the same rights to enter EU countries as any other racer.

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— The authorities of a number of European countries refuse to allow Russians to participate in competitions, despite permission from international organizations and the absence of sanctions. Aren't you afraid to face similar problems?

— Do I expect any additional difficulties? Undoubtedly. Life constantly presents both positive and negative surprises. But every such surprise needs to be dealt with, as they say, case by case. I understand that it won't be easy.

There are a huge number of people in Formula 1 and outside of it who adequately understand this situation and wrote me words of support. I recently turned 25 years old. I believe that I can continue to perform in sports for a long time. I'm up for it. Therefore, I will solve all problems with a cool HEAD and achieve my goal, as I have been doing for the last two years.

Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

The European Court has made decisions on sanctions against Nikita Mazepin several times. On March 1, 2023, he decided that the restrictive measures did not affect his professional activities as a racer. The athlete was allowed to negotiate about working as a Formula 1 pilot, as well as participate in Grand Prix stages, tests, training and free races in the EU. In July, the court issued an interim order to partially lift the sanctions, and on August 22, it assigned priority status to the Mazepin v. Council of the EU case.

In March 2024, the EU Court of Justice ruled to lift the sanctions against the racer. The court considered that family ties with businessman Dmitry Mazepin in themselves are not a sufficient basis for imposing restrictions.

“Watching Formula 1 does not evoke positive emotions” - Are you planning to compete in the Le Mans series or rally raids this season?

“It all depends on how quickly the EU Court’s decision will be implemented. I hope the fulfillment will not take long to arrive. Every time I wake up and try to find good news on my phone .

I have plans to participate in the Silk Way rally raid this year. The route will go all the way to CHINA . It will pass through places that any tourist would want to visit.

The Le Mans Series is interesting to me. I need to maintain the momentum. And if I get the opportunity to enter EU countries, I will definitely perform.

Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

Finding himself under sanctions, Mazepin continued to participate in auto racing. In July 2022, he became the winner of the Silk Way rally marathon in the overall standings of all-terrain vehicles. In 2023–2024 he won the title of vice-champion of the Asian Le Mans Series.

After suspending his Formula 1 career, Mazepin founded the We Compete As One Foundation to help athletes excluded from international competition for non-sports reasons. He announced its creation in June 2022 at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

— What about Dakar?

— As I already said, I have been striving for 18 years to compete in Formula 1. For me, performing in endurance racing and rally raids was just a substitute.

This is not what my heart wants or what I truly love. On the one hand, this is a roll-up. On the other hand, it is distracting. Still, the style and psychology of piloting on rough terrain and on asphalt, where races sometimes last 24 hours, is a different approach.

Now, on the back of positive news, I would like to return to a place where the cars go a little faster and the races are a little shorter. But there is no need to guess. I'll be happy to drive any series that is at a high level.

Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

— Do you follow Formula?

— Watching Formula 1 in RUSSIA has become quite problematic. That’s why I haven’t watched the race from start to finish for a long time. I still loved Formula 1 not for the show, but because it was the calling of my life.

I'm very good at this. And I’ve been doing this my entire adult life. And as soon as I lost the opportunity to compete there, naturally I gradually began to move away from Formula 1.

And to be honest, watching the races did not evoke positive emotions in me. I know everyone there, I was there. I realize I'm sitting in a chair right now, but in three and a half hours by plane I could be at the race site. But there is an invisible wall, because of which I cannot get there.

Therefore, at some point I began to watch less racing, but still read the news. And when the EU sanctions were extended, all hopes of returning practically disappeared. But as they say, never give up. Absolutely unexpectedly for me, the court suspended the sanctions. And I started watching the races again.

Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

— This is not the first year that electric car racing has been held. For example, Formula E is very popular among car manufacturers. Are you considering similar series?

“Formula E doesn’t appeal to me at the moment. I am attracted to the “Extreme” series of electric cars. I think this is a brilliant idea. Races take place not only in Europe, but all over the world over rough terrain. So I would like to do one or two stages, or maybe the whole season. But now I am charged, focused and full of desire to begin negotiations to return to Formula 1. So, to be honest, I’m not thinking about anything else for now.

Biography of racer Nikita Mazepin

Mazepin is now 25 years old. He is the son of businessman Dmitry Mazepin.

• He started racing at the age of seven. From 2011 to 2014 he took part in various karting competitions. In 2014, at the age of 15, he made his debut in the open-wheel championship, taking part in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000 series at the Lusail circuit.
• He began his career in the Formula series in 2016. Then he spent a full season in the European Formula 3 Championship as part of the HitechGP team. In 2016, Mazepin signed a contract with the Force India Formula 1 team, under which he became a development driver. In 2017, he stood on the podium three times and took tenth place in the Formula 3 individual standings.
• In 2018, Mazepin moved to GP3. Already in the first race in Barcelona he took first place, then won the first race at the Hungaroring. During the season he stood on the podium eight times and became the silver medalist of the championship.
• Since the 2019 season he has competed in Formula 2. In 2020, he won two victories (he lost a victory in another race due to a fine), and took fifth place in the championship.
• In 2021, Mazepin became a driver for the Haas Formula 1 team. In their debut season, Mazepin and his teammate Mick Schumacher raced in uncompetitive cars from a year ago. As a result, they were unable to score points in the championship, finishing last and penultimate, respectively.
  Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

Why Mazepin doesn't like to drive

— Now there is a boom in electric cars: Tesla Model Y has become the best-selling car in the world. Do you like electric cars?

— Electric cars are the future. I’m not sure that most Formula 1 fans, like me, would prefer to replace the car’s engines with electric ones. But from the point of view of environmentally friendly and economical everyday use in megacities, preference should be given to electric cars. It's just practical.

— How soon, in your opinion, will electric cars replace cars with internal combustion engines?

— It depends on many factors. In particular, from the actions of the authorities. For example, in all UK cities, virtually only electric cars will soon be allowed to enter the city center. Stories like this certainly speed up the process.

There are villages near Moscow where service workers can only travel by electric cars. Therefore, a lot depends on how changes in habitual patterns of behavior will be brought down to us from above. But I fully support them.

— Many people are interested in the question of the favorite brands of racing cars. What brand is your favorite?

— I don’t really like driving. For me, driving was associated with great risk. First, we, as racers, have a certain responsibility for the standard of behavior that we demonstrate as professional drivers. Secondly, the loss of a driver's license on the road automatically leads to the loss of a driver's license, and for me this is the loss of a job.

Even though I've been paid to drive fast all my life, when I got behind the wheel of a regular car, the last thing I wanted to do was go somewhere fast. I didn't enjoy it. And I never even tuned cars. And over the past three years, I practically haven’t driven.

Answering your question about favorite cars. In terms of passenger comfort, the Mercedes wins. And from a driving point of view, what young guy, athlete, doesn’t love sports cars?! Ferrari is a prominent representative of this genus.

Nikita Mazepin (Photo: Mikhail Grebenshchikov / RBC)

— You founded a charitable foundation and head the industry commission for the development of the sports industry of the Russian Managers Association. What other sports projects are you involved in?

 “I tried to be useful, to help others in any way possible during a pause in my sports career. There are a number of personal startups that I would not like to advertise; first, they need to grow. Thank God I have a good education. I continue to study in graduate school. And of course, when I can’t do my life’s work, namely racing, I want to put my knowledge into practice and run a business related to sports.