Giovinazzi: Mazepin lacks respect for F1 qualifying etiquette

Antonio Giovinazzi has criticised F1 rookie Nikita Mazepin for lacking respect after ruining his qualifying lap at the Emilia Romagna GP.
Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) Alfa Romeo Racing C41.
Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) Alfa Romeo Racing C41.
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Antonio Giovinazzi has criticised Form𝓰ula 1 rookie Nikita Mazepin for lacking respect after ruining his qualifying lap at the Emilia Romagna Grand ꧒Prix.

The pair had a run-in during Q1 at Imola as Haas driver Mazepin overtook Giovinazzi’s Alf😼a Romeo on the run to the first chicane as they both started their final flying laps and hampered the Italian’s effort.

Drivers usually follow what is considered to be aꦚ qualifying etiquette in trying to leave each other space to start their respective timed laps, but Mazepin appeared to ignore this as he got into Giovinazzi’s slipstream on the main straight and 🍃fought him for track position.

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Both drivers were eliminated in the opening segment of qualifying and Giovinazzi was left unimpressed by Mazepin’s actions, sa⛄ying over team radio: “What is Mazepin doing, ho🤪nestly?”

It is the second time in two grands prix that the Russian has overtaken drivers at the start of the qualifying lap after🐈 doing the same at the season-opener in Bahrain.

And Giovinazziౠ has accused Mazepin of being disrespectfuﷺl early in his F1 career.

"It's quite clear," Giovinazzi said after qualifyin🗹g.

"We respect each other on this, starting the lap, 🐻and he didn't respect this. This is really not correct for a qualifying lap. I didn't make my last lap.”

Explaining his actions, Mazepin insisted he had little alternative with time runni𓃲ng ou♛t at the end of Q1.

"In ꦫF1 it is a bit difficult as there's 20 cars, obviously, in segment one, which is where we a💧re," he said.

"Everyone is going out at the same time, and the track is just notꦦ big enough for all of us.

"We had this chat about the gentlemen's agreeme🙈nt, and obviously I didn't have a problem with that. But when there 🃏is three seconds on the clock, it is either you go or you have to box, and you're going across the start/finish first.

"So I𒆙 don't think there's an issue with it. I'm here to do my laps, and, you know, we are all in the same wor𝐆ld.”

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