The Formula 1 team Haas rolled out a striking VF-22 at the start of the third test day in Barcelona. All logos and colors that refer to the Russian main sponsor Uralkali have been expertly picked off the car. This is without a doubt the direct result of the current tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
What exactly is going on within the ranks of the Haas F1 Team is not entirely clear. The team declined to comment on that. In any case, the racing stable is rigorous, because not only did Haas remove the Uralkali logos from the Formula 1 car, the team’s trucks have also reportedly been stripped of their stickers. The latter indicates that there may be something bigger going on and Haas wants to show his now controversial title sponsor the door. The car looks quite bare without its Russian colors. With its white and black livery it is not the most sparkling car on the grid.
Since last season, the Russian company Uralkali, one of the world’s largest producers of the potash fertilizer, has been Haas’ main sponsor. As a result, the Haas VF-21 and now the VF-22 were given the Russian flag livery. Russian Nikita Mazepin also got a seat with the team. His father Dmitry Mazepin has – unsurprisingly – a majority stake in Uralkali. Mazepin senior is also a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The latter makes the situation not at all pleasant for Haas.
Mazepin is currently doing his test laps in the car in Barcelona without stickers. Whether the situation in Ukraine will have consequences for the sponsorship deal between his father and the team, and with it possibly also his own seat in the premier class of motorsport, will probably become clear in the coming weeks.
Image: Haas F1 Team on Twitterâ€
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl