Nikita Mazepin blames ‘cancel culture’ after F1 sacking from Team Haas

Someone fetch the world's smallest violin

Nikita Mazepin has cited "cancel culture" as the reason behind his sacking from Team Haas in the build-up to the start of the Formula One season.

Mazepin was sacked by Team Haas

Mazepin was sacked in addition to Haas terminating their sponsorship with Russian-based chemicals company Urakali in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. After Russia's invasion began, the FIA stated that they wouldn't ban Russian drivers from the sport but they would be forced to compete under a neutral flag and sign a document pledging not to support the invasion. The young driver's dad - Dmitry - was one of those affected by the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, and the oligarch was invited to a meeting with Vladimir Putin just hours after the invasion had begun. Nikita has condemned the sanctions imposed on his father and other Russian businessmen, and insisted he will do everything possible to fight back against them. "I don’t agree with being in the sanctions and I’ve said previously that I intend to fight it," he told the BBC. "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." https://twitter.com/BBCHARDtalk/status/1511979313817690114?s=20&t=mnEVcdVmT8-6SjvN3ZcAKA

Mazepin admitted that it is 'painful to watch'

Mazepin was then asked if he had seen the recent pictures from Ukraine, which showed civilians - some of them bound - reportedly shot dead by Russian troops. Mazepin admitted it was "painful" to see such images, but stopped short of publicly condemning them. "It is very painful to watch that on many levels," he responded. "My feelings, they obviously changed as a human being and as a person that wants to live in a very peaceful world, 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." Related links:

• Nikita Mazepin hits out at Haas’ decision to terminate contract
• Nikita Mazepin has contract terminated by Haas F1 team
• Lewis Hamilton reveals mental and emotional struggles in honest Instagram post