Nikita Mazepin Characterizes Sports Sanctions as ‘Cancel Culture’ Against Russia

Haas F1 terminated the contract with Mazepin shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Former Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin did not hold back on his thoughts about the sanctions and bans against Russian athletes, calling them “cancel culture against my country.”

“I don’t agree with being in the sanctions,” Mazepin said in an interview with BBC HARDtalk. “I’ve said previously that I intend to fight it.

“Perhaps now is not the right time because if you look at the whole situation that's happening against athletes in the general case, it’s cancel culture against my country.”

Haas F1 terminated the contract with Mazepin and title sponsor Uralkali, the company his father owns, in early March before the second round of preseason testing. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, and later that day, Haas F1 announced it was dropping its Uralkali livery for the third day of preseason testing at Circuit de Barcelona—Catalunya, electing to drive a plain white car instead.

“As with the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict,” the team said in a statement when announcing the terminated contract.

Nikita and his father, Dmitry, were then added to the European Union sanction list just a few days after the contract was terminated. The EU cited Dmitry's meeting with president Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24 as why they are added to the list, saying it's evidence that he is “supporting or implementing actions or policies” which threaten Ukraine.

As for Nikita, it's because he is “a natural person associated with a leading businessperson (his father) involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation.”

Sports federations across the globe have made moves to ban Russian athletes in light of the Russia-Ukraine war that continues to escalate. The Boston Marathon is the latest to make a move—competitors who are not currently citizens of Russia or Belarus are allowed to race. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended all sports to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition. UEFA moved the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to Paris while the governing bodies of tennis decided to suspend the WTA/ATP combined event set in Moscow this upcoming October.

FIFA and UEFA also banned Russia from all international competitions—including qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup. Additionally, the ban will apply to the country’s men’s and women’s national teams, as well as any club teams competing in any FIFA or UEFA competitions. Even Formula One canceled the Russian Grand Prix.

Although FIA decided to allow Russian and Belarusian drivers to compete under a neutral flag, not everyone agreed with the move. Days later, Motorsport UK announced it was banning Russian and Belarusian license holders from competing in the United Kingdom.

When asked about the images coming out of Ukraine, which include “the civilians shot, some of them bound, apparently atrocities committed by Russian forces before they left towns and villages around Kyiv,” Mazepin did admit “it's very painful to watch that on many levels.”

“My feeling obviously changed as a human being and as a person who wants to live in a very peaceful world,” the former F1 driver said. “But I will be honest with you. I see tremendous risks in saying anything at all about this case because I will never satisfy everyone and therefore I will keep myself publicly quiet.”