Court of EU removes Nikita Mazepin, former F1 driver, from sanctions list

On Wednesday, the EU’s General Court in Brussels ruled in favor of Nikita Mazepin, a former F1 driver from Russia, by reversing the EU’s sanctions that were placed on him due to the bloc’s reaction to Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Mazepin was added to the list of people sanctioned by the 27-nation bloc two years ago, in the wake of Russia’s invasion, because of his father’s connections to the Kremlin. He subsequently lost his F1 seat with Haas.

At the time, Haas F1 also terminated its contract with sponsor Uralkali.

After the war started, motorsport’s governing body, the FIA banned Russia from all international events but allowed individual drivers as neutrals without their national symbols, flags, colours, and anthems.

EU removes Nikita Mazepin

The European Union announced that it included Mazepin, who is 25 years old, in its sanctions list because of his connection with his father, Dmitry. Dmitry is a powerful businessman who is considered the main financial supporter of his son’s career as a professional race car driver.

According to the European Union, Dmitry Mazepin was considered to be part of the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the court’s decision on Wednesday, Nikita ‘s departure from the Haas F1 racing team resulted in his status as a driver being revoked. This means that the EU’s decision to include him on their list of sanctioned individuals was incorrect as he was no longer a member of the team.

According to the court, the EU sanctions regime’s “association” criterion necessitates a connection that goes beyond a basic family relationship. However, the court determined that this was not the case once Mazepin ceased participating in F1 racing.

In a statement sent through one of his aides, Mazepin expressed his strong approval of the recent ruling and appreciation for the European Court’s fair handling of his case. He emphasized the significance of this ruling as a significant milestone.

In his efforts to make a comeback in F1, Mazepin has also contested the sanctions imposed by the EU and Canada.

At present, he takes part in the Asian Le Mans series, a racing league that is not as well-known, but organizes competitions in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia.

In a statement sent by one of his aides, Mazepin expressed his strong approval of today’s decision and thanked the European Court for providing a fair trial for his case. He also acknowledged that this ruling marks a significant milestone.

In his effort to make a comeback in F1, Mazepin has taken legal action against EU and Canadian sanctions.

He is currently participating in the Asian Le Mans series, a lesser-known racing league that holds competitions in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia.

Upon being questioned by Reuters, Nikita ‘s assistant did not respond immediately regarding their plans to come back to Formula One.

According to diplomatic sources, the EU is planning to remove sanctions on Mazepin, with claims that Hungary has been advocating for the driver’s case.