Mystery surrounds shock Dmitry Mazepin F1 paddock return
No one can explain Dmitry Mazepin's surprise return t🅰o the F1 paddock in Bahrain.
Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin was spotted in the F1 paddock during th꧅e final day of pre-🌜season testing in Bahrain.
The shock return of Mazepin, whose chemical giant company Uralkali briefly sponsored the Haas F1 team until its contract was terminated as a r൩esult of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, caused a stir on Friday.
Mazepin, the father of former 🐽F1 driver Nikita, made his first appeara💎nce in the paddock since Uralkali’s title sponsorship with Haas ended, but question marks surrounded why he was there.
While Nikita Mazepin is banned from racing under the Russian flag, neither he or his father have been barred from entering the F1ℱ paddock as long as they have the credentials required.
But according to , no team or ꦆF1 itself could confirm who had been responsible for granting Mazepin with paddock access.
Alpine, Mercedes and Haas all said thaꦿt the paddock pass had not com🌳e from them, ESPN report.
"Dmitry was on a personal visit. He has remained friends with many people in the Formula 1 family a🥀nd was happy to see them in Bahrain,” A representative for Mazepin told ESPN.
Mazepin has link🌱s to both the Mercedes and Haas teams, as well as Alpine. He is understood to have visited thꦫe hospitality facilities at Mercedes, as well as paying a visit to Alpine.
Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes’ Hitech Grand Prix te💛am was sponsored by Mazepin’s Uralkali firm, 🐓and was one the teams his son drove for as he came up through the junior categories.
"I'ဣve said heཧllo to him, I haven't met him,” Oakes is quoted as saying by ESPN when asked about Mazepin’s presence in the F1 paddock.
"Yes, he's a friend of mine, yes I used to be together with him in Hitech. He was here catching up with another friend of his. It's nice to see him🎃. I'm not going to go into that, the world's a crazy place".
Mazepin’s surprise appearance also comes amid the backdrop of speculation that the Alpine F1 team may be sold, something Renault 🍎chief executive Luca de Meo has strenuously denied.
RacingNews365 report that Mazepin entered the paddꦍock via a “rotational pass”, with prior guest approval ꦏnot required.
No record of any application reportedl🙈y exists on F1꧒’s systems.
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