Nikita Mazepin’s father Dmitry, has revealed that his son’s place on the Formula 1 grid is under threat due to mandatory military service.
Mazepin made his Formula 1 debut in 2021 with Haas, and it is safe to say that the rookie has made quite the impact since arriving.
The 22-year-old did already carry a reputation with him into Formula 1, and there has been a few further controversies in the opening rounds, with Mazepin’s team-mate Mick Schumacher the latest to take issue at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
That being said, Mazepin has begun to show signs of settling in at Haas, producing a decent performance at the Monaco Grand Prix, while Baku, generally, was also a step in the right direction.
This momentum though could be cut short, since mandatory military service back in his native Russia could be in his near future.
“Nikita has 23 races, and they tell him that he needs to join the army,” Mazepin’s father Dmitry told the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“They told him he had to be present at the training camp regularly. There would be no exceptions.
“He has a race every two weeks. How does he do it? Who do I ask this question to?
“And I’m not talking about Nikita Mazepin alone but about everyone: athletes and professionals in the same situation. The issue of education and sports is relevant.”
Explaining the situation in Baku, Mazepin revealed that he has been studying at the military department for two years, and would like to become a reserve officer after his third year.
“In Russia, military service is compulsory for everyone who is fit for it,” he explained.
“There are two options. The first is that you graduate from university and serve for one year, and the second is the military department, if your physical training and academic results are good enough.
“In the case of the military department, you study one day a week to be a reserve officer. The training period is three years, but everything happens in the classroom.
“I have been studying at the military department for two years now, so there is another year ahead. After that, I would like to believe that I will become a reserve officer.”
