Who are you Nikita Mazepin?

Some mock his sometimes erratic driving, others criticize his sulphurous behavior off the track, many accuse him of having accessed F1 solely thanks to his father's fortune. This shows that the reception given to the young Russian was stormy. But beyond the escapades, what do we really know about the Haas driver? Interview with the most reviled rookie on the board.

Published on 24/09/2021 à 09:00

Julien BILLIOTTE

0 View comments)

Who are you Nikita Mazepin?

Achieving unanimity is not easy, especially in Formula 1 where the anti-thing and the pro-thing often clash with as much fervor as the Ancients and the Moderns once did. And yet, one man managed to get everyone to agree, even before having placed his butt in the seat of a car of Grand Prix in competition. Only problem for Nikita mazepin : in his specific case, unanimity rhymes with hostility. Before him, had we ever seen fans launch a petition so that a young driver does not enter F1? The reasons for the disenchantment are varied and well-known: a label as a paid pilot as large as the fortune of his father Dmitry Mazepin, Russian businessman boss of the Uralchem ​​company specializing in fertilizers, including potash; not really wonderful results in promotional formulas; a penchant for aggressive steering on track, when it's not punching off track like during this qualifying session F3 Europe (in Hungary, in 2016) where he went to explain his way of thinking to Callum Ilott with a pair of slaps... To this already copious CV, Mazepin added an inglorious episode a few days after the announcement of his promotion at Haas at the end of last year. In a video published on social networks, which quickly went viral before being removed, we see the young Russian exhibiting not really #MeToo behavior towards a young girl. The media outpouring was immediate, the condemnation of public opinion definitive. The offseason break won't change anything: Mazepin is a tricard. Cer

Julien BILLIOTTE

AUTOhebdo deputy editor-in-chief. The feather dipped in gall.

This article is for subscribers only.

You have 90% left to discover.



Already subscribed?
Log in


  • Unlimited premium items
  • The digital magazine from 20 p.m. every Monday
  • All issues of AUTOhebdo available since 2012
COUV-2433

0 View comments)