Dmitry Mazepin in Sakhir
The watchful eyes of the cameras caught an unexpected presence in the paddock during F1 testing in Bahrain. After three years away from the Formula 1 world, Dmitry Mazepin has made his return to the paddock. The Belarusian-born Russian citizen, long considered one of Vladimir Putin’s loyal supporters, had been absent since the start of the 2022 season, when Haas dismissed his son Nikita Mazepin just days before the championship began due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Mazepin family’s history in F1
Dmitry Mazepin, through his fertilizer company Uralkali, was one of Haas’s biggest financial backers—so much so that in 2021, the American team raced with a livery clearly resembling the Russian flag. His financial support ensured a seat for his son Nikita. However, after the war began, the Mazepin family was hit by Western sanctions, like many other oligarchs close to Putin.
Over the past year, the businessman’s name has resurfaced in the news. First, due to his legal victory against Haas, which was ordered by an international arbitration panel in Switzerland to refund the sponsorship money Uralkali had paid for the 2022 season. Then, because the European Union removed Nikita Mazepin’s name from its list of sanctioned individuals.
How did Mazepin enter F1 testing in Bahrain?
The F1 paddock is now wondering how Mazepin managed to obtain a pass—for himself and his 10-year-old son, who is also preparing to start a motorsport career—to access the paddock during testing in Bahrain. According to well-informed journalist Thomas Maher of PlanetF1, neither Formula 1, the FIA, the Sakhir circuit, nor any of the ten F1 teams were aware of Mazepin Sr.’s arrival. RacingNews365 suggests that the 56-year-old, born in Minsk, may have obtained (or purchased) two generic passes, which allow unrestricted paddock access without requiring prior approval, unlike the FIA-issued passes granted to journalists.
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