Nikita Mazepin

[Richard C]

With Mazepin in a seat for next year, and given his antics, I figured we need to start a thread early for him. I wasn't sure what title to use...

"2020 has brought a pandemic, Mazepin to F1, what is next?"
"Mazepin... GOAT!"
"Is Mazepin the solution on how to fix F1?"

So lets kick this off with this story that is making the rounds.

https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/ab...video/4923992/

I expect he didn't kill his 2021 ride, but he probably needs to keep his nose clean until the start of next season. (Is that possible?)

Note: Mazepin gets dedicated thread before George Russell. George only gets to live in the shadow of Lewis' Covid diagnosis.

Richard

[tux]

Who knows anymore, probably shouldn't lose his drive but it was an awful thing to have done.

[E.B]

He sounds a bit like a hothead.... at least a bit of a worry. Did he not get banned once before for punching another driver?

I daresay the way this will work out is that internally Haas will threaten Mazepin with the flick, Mazepin Snr will counter with an extra few mill sweetener in backing for Haas, and the whole thing will get swept under the carpet.

Hopefully he learns a lesson from it all.

[Aysedasi]

A hothead? He sounds like a prize ****. I don't have any high hopes for this young man bringing anything positive to F1 next season....

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

A hothead? He sounds like a prize ****. I don't have any high hopes for this young man bringing anything positive to F1 next season....

I tend to agree Ayse. All that he will be bringing is $$$$$ and lots of them.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

A hothead? He sounds like a prize ****. I don't have any high hopes for this young man bringing anything positive to F1 next season....

He's not really coming across as an upgrade from Grosjean or Magnussen is he? I have to admit I haven't seen anything of his career up to this point so I don't know how good a driver he is - but I've seen/heard his name crop up a few times for being a prize winning idiot (much like Dan Ticktum). But F1 being F1 money talks so I wouldn't expect it to change anything regarding his drive at Haas.

[bella]

file this under : “in a surprise to literally no-one”.

[Knowlesy]

He seems to be massively thick. Great addition to the grid!

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

He's not really coming across as an upgrade from Grosjean or Magnussen is he?

I believe I saw an article month ago in which Steiner was effectively saying their problem is their car and they need to devote their budget in that direction vs. paying drivers. So I believe their strategy is to use pay drivers to help address car development budget issues. Then ideally at a future point in time when they have resolved issues with the car and they become constrained by their drivers abilities, they would bring in more talent if needed. Maybe during this interim period Mick and Nikita get some F1 experience and show if they have a future in F1 or not.

With that being said, I am curious to see how Mick works out. As to Nikita, I don't know a great deal, but he seems to come across as someone who has grown up with a very entitled attitude and has yet to run into "real life". I expect F1 might be that moment for him.

Richard

[Knowlesy]

Nothing says "real life" like F1.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Nothing says "real life" like F1.

Please don't point out flaws in my comments.

Richard

[bella]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

With that being said, I am curious to see how Mick works out. As to Nikita, I don't know a great deal, but he seems to come across as someone who has grown up with a very entitled attitude and has yet to run into "real life". I expect F1 might be that moment for him.

this isn't out of character for him, i'll say that much. it correlates with the nonsense he pulls on track.

hopefully the girls identity remains out of the hands of the authorities. there's public decency issues with the video in question, and in that end of the world it's the women who suffer greatly.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

I believe I saw an article month ago in which Steiner was effectively saying their problem is their car and they need to devote their budget in that direction vs. paying drivers. So I believe their strategy is to use pay drivers to help address car development budget issues. Then ideally at a future point in time when they have resolved issues with the car and they become constrained by their drivers abilities,

I can understand that up to a point - but how will Haas know if the car is better? The drivers have no experience of F1, throwing 2 rookies into an underdeveloped car and hoping they can point out where it's not working is asking a lot. I can see Haas propping up the results next season - I assume next year is a write off for Haas and they're gunning for 2022.

[Akrapovic]

The F1 "We Race as One" thing is going to be tested to the maximum in 2021. We've got a race in a country where women are being prosecuted as terrorists for driving, and we've got this prize wee pr*ck groping women. Whilst the "We Race as One" slogan has largely been used regarding race, it has been used for gender, sexuality and many other points.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

The F1 "We Race as One" thing is going to be tested to the maximum in 2021. We've got a race in a country where women are being prosecuted as terrorists for driving, and we've got this prize wee pr*ck groping women. Whilst the "We Race as One" slogan has largely been used regarding race, it has been used for gender, sexuality and many other points.

right!

the notion that a team is allowed to handle these things internally in 2020 is a odd to me.

N.American sports are different i guess, but anything that even remotely smells like assault, especially an allegation that has videos making the social media rounds, the league gets involved. and not just involved in the background, but very publicly involved and make sure they are seen to be the ones leading the investigation.

[S griffin]

Haas have a reputation for attracting some, how shall I put it, controversial characters. They’ve been sponsored by a drink’s company run by an ego driven narcissist and the less said about a certain Mr Ferruci the better. Mazepin seems to be another one judging by actions in the past and just now

Grosjean, Magnussen, Steiner and Guitierrez all have had their moments, but the three mentioned above are just something else!

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

I can understand that up to a point - but how will Haas know if the car is better? The drivers have no experience of F1, throwing 2 rookies into an underdeveloped car and hoping they can point out where it's not working is asking a lot. I can see Haas propping up the results next season - I assume next year is a write off for Haas and they're gunning for 2022.

That is a good question. But I suspect Haas is seeing issues that are so glaring that they don't need driver feedback to expose. I don't know if it is still a problem, but Haas was calling out some issues with their rear suspension changing as the race progressed (heat dependent?). I expect their data shows that. Drivers will feel that as a car that just changes it's characteristics during the race.

At some point, yes you are right. They will be limited by the quality of feedback or skill/experience of their drivers. I assume they will know when that happens. Lets see how long they sign their drivers for. Are they 1 year or longer contracts.

Richard

[chillibowl]

or its the Williams model...use someone else's money to clear out liabilities and build up assets before selling the team on.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

The F1 "We Race as One" thing is going to be tested to the maximum in 2021. We've got a race in a country where women are being prosecuted as terrorists for driving, and we've got this prize wee pr*ck groping women. Whilst the "We Race as One" slogan has largely been used regarding race, it has been used for gender, sexuality and many other points.

A minor correction, women are permitted to drive in Saudi these days.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/w...niversary.html It's the rest of the freedoms they don't enjoy that should be of more concern.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

A minor correction, women are permitted to drive in Saudi these days.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/24/w...niversary.html It's the rest of the freedoms they don't enjoy that should be of more concern.

You are correct - thank you for that. They are still prosecuting women who campaigned for the right to drive as domestic terrorists. This has the potential to end in a death penalty.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...errorism-court

I look forward to rainbows on Safety Cars to tell us that this is ok.

[RWill2073]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Haas have a reputation for attracting some, how shall I put it, controversial characters. They’ve been sponsored by a drink’s company run by an ego driven narcissist and the less said about a certain Mr Ferruci the better. Mazepin seems to be another one judging by actions in the past and just now

Grosjean, Magnussen, Steiner and Guitierrez all have had their moments, but the three mentioned above are just something else!

See, this I don't get. Ferrucci was for sure a hothead entitled prick, (he's matured quite a bit in indycar it seems) but he was banished from f1 contention over on track stuff and insults.

This mazepin guy is a hotheaded entitled prick, hasn't matured, as this just happened, and instead of words, hes actually causing physical harm to other drivers and worse, sexually harming women. Yet, he remains....

Are words worse than actions?

Of the 2, I'd take ferrucci by longshot.

In that article he said as an f1 driver he needs to be better. Proof he hasn't learned, because he should have said as a human being he needs to be better. Like it's okay to grope women without consent if you're not an f1 driver?

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

You are correct - thank you for that. They are still prosecuting women who campaigned for the right to drive as domestic terrorists. This has the potential to end in a death penalty.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...errorism-court

I look forward to rainbows on Safety Cars to tell us that this is ok.

Well if you're going to use the Guardian as your support im not surprised. That said yes, the regime is not very good at human rights.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Well if you're going to use the Guardian as your support im not surprised. That said yes, the regime is not very good at human rights.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-55069863
https://www.npr.org/2020/11/26/93934...=1607536359335
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/...m-court-family
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/w...-hathloul.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/l...-case-n1249094

There is a variety of sources. Pick whichever one you find the least disagreeable. They're all basically saying the same thing - women who wants rights for women are terrorists. It's difficult for F1 to spin that one any other way.

When F1 was not involving itself with politics, it was easy to argue F1 should ignore this stuff and concentrate purely on the sport. Now that it has embedded itself in politics and human rights, it becomes very difficult to justify these events - and the driver who is the title of this thread.

[STAR Driver]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

right!

the notion that a team is allowed to handle these things internally in 2020 is a odd to me.

N.American sports are different i guess, but anything that even remotely smells like assault, especially an allegation that has videos making the social media rounds, the league gets involved. and not just involved in the background, but very publicly involved and make sure they are seen to be the ones leading the investigation.

If the FIA does not get involved, it reflects very badly on Formula 1, especially with their "We Race As One" slogan. Inaction is seen as complicity.


A petition has been started asking them to remove Mazepin from Formula 1 (http://chng.it/SwpY7Vrvbq) but at the very least they should have spoken on the subject by now.

[Peter Mallett]

Akropovic, You missed the syntax of the underlying metaphor once again. I'm agreeing with you.