A comeback made possible by the FIA
Nikita Mazepin is back racing in Europe. The FIA has lifted the restrictions on Russian drivers, and the former Formula 1 man wasted no time taking advantage.
Haas dumped him in early 2022 after just one season at the top level. The American team also cut ties with Russian title sponsor Uralkali in the fallout. Behind it all was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Since then, Russian drivers could only compete under a neutral banner. Mazepin, by contrast, had almost vanished from the grids.
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A pole by four seconds
The return is happening well away from the spotlight. At 27, Mazepin is racing in the Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy with Team Motopark at Spa-Francorchamps.
Behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3, he took pole position. Four seconds clear of the rest of the field. The margin jumps out, though it also makes sense given the mileage the Russian has piled up in GT racing in recent years.
Mazepin never fully walked away from the wheel after Formula 1. He raced in the Dubai 24 Hours and entered the Asian Le Mans Series during his spell on the sidelines.
He is not the only one dusting off the racing kit
Rinat Salikhov is also making use of the federation’s decision. The Russian driver is on the grid this weekend in GT World Europe at the Nurburgring.
At Spa, Mazepin is not the only former F1 driver on the grid. Christian Klien, who raced for Jaguar and then Red Bull and is now a television pundit in Austria, is in the same event.
What happens next is another matter. A pole in the Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy does not open any doors back into the Formula 1 paddock. It mostly shows that he is racing again, and under his own flag.
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