Nikita Mazepin left the sanctions list

Famous Russian racer Nikita Mazepin was able to challenge last year’s inclusion in the EU sanctions list in the European Court, which made it impossible for him to continue his career in Formula 1 and other prestigious racing series. Mr. Mazepin managed to prove the illegality of the actions of the European Union, based solely on his family ties: the athlete’s father, Dmitry Mazepin, was the owner of Uralkali, which sponsored the team of his son Haas. Now Nikita Mazepin is allowed to negotiate contracts in international series.

The European Court has published a decision on the claim of 23-year-old Russian racer Nikita Mazepin. In it, he challenged last year’s actions of the Council of the European Union, expressed in the application of various restrictive measures against him related to travel to EU countries and participation in competitions held on its territory.

The highest legal authority satisfied the requirements of Mr. Mazepin, and its verdict turned into a rather noticeable event in the world of motorsport due to the complex background of the case.

Nikita Mazepin was the most visible victim of the sanctions imposed against the backdrop of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine among domestic racing drivers. Mr. Mazepin in 2021 became only the fourth – after Vitaly Petrov, Sergey Sirotkin and Daniil Kvyat – a Russian who managed to compete in the official races of the main Formula 1 series in motorsport. Nikita Mazepin spent a season in the American team Haas, which was sponsored by Uralkali, owned by the athlete’s father Dmitry Mazepin (later broke up with control over it). In the overall standings of the championship, his son took the last, 21st place, without scoring a single point, and his best result was 14th position at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. However, it must be said that the Russian was chasing the worst Formula 1 team, which also finished the season on the lowest, tenth, line of the classification, never hitting the points zone. At the same time, until the end of February 2022, there was no doubt that Nikita Mazepin would remain at Haas and take part in the next World Championship.

The situation changed dramatically after the start of the special operation in Ukraine. International Motorsport Federation (FIA), under the auspices of which the Formula 1 championships are held, unlike the vast majority of sports structures, did not follow the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which amounted to total isolation of representatives of Russia and Belarus. She allowed them to compete in international competitions under a neutral flag, having fulfilled a number of requirements and obligations. At the same time, Formula itself severed all relations with Russia. The Russian Grand Prix was canceled, broadcasts of races were interrupted, and even access to the official website of the series from Russian territory was limited. A Haas ripped relations both with Uralkali (without paying him the $13 million already received under the sponsorship agreement) and with Nikita Mazepin.

The end to the hopes of Nikita Mazepin to return to the prestigious series was put on the EU sanctions lists along with his father. Justifying it, the Council of the European Union referred exclusively to the racer’s family ties, calling him an “individual” who is the son of an “influential businessman”, “representing a significant source of income for the government of the Russian Federation.” In addition, the authority believed that Nikita Mazepin gained an “advantage” from these family ties, that is, in fact, he ended up in the “Formula” only thanks to them.

In the lawsuit, the rider’s lawyers disputed the receipt of such an “advantage”, pointing out, for example, that his father was not the formal head of Uralkali and that the partnership with Haas was “a completely justified commercial operation from an economic point of view” for the company, and also insisted that “according to case law” “the fact that a person subject to sanctions belongs to the family” does not appear “sufficient to justify the inclusion of a person” in the sanctions lists, even more so after the termination of the team’s contracts with both the athlete and the sponsor. As a result, the European Court agreed that “the actions by which restrictive measures were taken against the applicant are not based on a sufficiently strong factual basis capable of justifying the retention of the applicant’s name in the lists in question”.

The authority separately emphasized that Nikita Mazepin “always maintained a neutral position” in relation to the special operation “as a professional athlete” and “is ready to sign the obligation of the pilots required by the FIA.”

Mr. Mazepin himself said this immediately after his dismissal from Haas, soon opening a charitable foundation “We act as one”, aimed at helping athletes who were suspended from competitions “for unsportsmanlike reasons.”

On this basis, the European Court of Justice “suspended” the decision of the Council of the European Union to sanction the athlete “to the extent necessary to enable him to negotiate his employment as a professional Formula 1 driver or as a racing driver other motorsport championships”, “taking place in the territory of the European Union”, and “participate in Grand Prix, testing, training”. Nikita Mazepin can enter the territory of the European Union “to negotiate and conclude agreements with a racing team or with sponsors that are not related to the activities of Dmitry Mazepin” or with individuals or legal entities whose names are included in the sanctions lists. He is also allowed to open a bank account and use a credit card for transactions directly related to professional activities. Plus, Nikita Mazepin, in the event of the resumption of his international career in FIA competitions, “must take upon himself the obligation to race under a neutral flag and sign the obligation of the pilots required by the federation for this purpose.” True, earlier such a document refused to sign, sacrificing the iconic Dakar race, the drivers of the Russian KAMAZ-master team, the strongest in rally raids, for a reason that is understandable to many Russian citizens. It says, in particular, that the rider “shares the solidarity of the FIA ​​with the people of Ukraine, the Ukrainian federation and all those who suffer as a result of the ongoing conflict”, and also that he will not “express support (direct or indirect) for Russian or Belarusian actions against Ukraine”.

In a statement by Nikita Mazepin, received by Kommersant, the driver, without mentioning further sports plans, said that he was “happy with the court decision”, which gives him “hope to return to international motorsport”.

The athlete promised that he would “do everything possible to catch up” due to a pause in his career, and added that he was “looking forward to returning to the business to which he devoted most of his life.”

Alexey Dospekhov