Written by Hugh Waring, edited by Harshi Vashee
The Motorsport UK authority has decided to bar Russian and Belarussian drivers from competing in events across the UK. Blocking Nikita Mazepin’s Haas F1 drive for the British GP.
Over the past 6 days, there has been an international backlash against the Russian regime and its invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine. This has also impacted sporting events held in Russia and Russian athletes. Fifa has banned the Russian national team, whilst the IOC has advised that Russian and Belarussian athletes not compete in sporting events.
On Tuesday however, the FIA’s WMSC did not follow these recommendations and allowed athletes to race under an ‘FIA flag’. Consequently, the speculated F1 seat for Haas F1 driver, Nikita Mazepin, is secure. On Wednesday morning, contrary to the FIA’s statement, it decided not to allow Russian and Belarussian license holders to compete in motorsport events in the UK.
This would lead to most significantly, Mazepin and other Russian drivers in F2 and F3 being barred from competing at the 2022 British Grand Prix.
The motorsport federations in Sweden and Finland have also banned Russian drivers from competing in events. The European Union and the US may also follow these announcements, countering the FIA’s approach to the Ukraine crisis.