The FIA has been urged by Ukraine’s motorsport organization to impose a slew of measures on Russian motorsport operations, including driver bans.
The Ukrainian motorsport organization has requested that the FIA ban all Russian and Belarusian drivers from competing at an international level, including Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which was backed by Belarus, the Ukrainian automotive federation has called for changes from motorsport’s regulatory body.
Western countries have retaliated by imposing severe penalties on Russia, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has been widely criticized for ordering troops into its western neighbor on Thursday morning.
The conflict’s ramifications have spilled over into sport, with F1 canceling this year’s Russian Grand Prix, which was set to take place on September 25 in Sochi. Meanwhile, for the final day of last week’s pre-season test in Barcelona, Haas removed the emblems and color scheme of title sponsor Uralkali from their F1 car.
The future of Mazepin and Haas’ sponsorship arrangement with Uralkali is expected to be determined this week, according to team principal Guenther Steiner. Mazepin’s father Dmitry, a Russian billionaire with close links to Putin, is a co-owner of the company.
In a tweet last week, Mazepin wrote: “It’s a difficult time and I am not in control over a lot of what is being said and done. I’m choosing to focus on what I CAN control by working hard and doing my best for my Haas F1 Team.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wrote to the Ukraine motorsport federation on Thursday offering his “full support and the support of the FIA”.
In response, FAU president Leonid Kostyuchenko requested the FIA to:
- Ban the use of state symbols of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus – the aggressor countries – during FIA-organised and FIA-sanctioned competitions
- To prohibit the holding of FIA-organised and FIA-sanctioned competitions in the territories of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus
- To prohibit the holding of RAF (Russian Automobile Federation)-organised and RAF-sanctioned competitions in the occupied territories of Ukraine
- To expel all the members of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus from the FIA
- To expel all the members representing the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus from FIA commissions
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended on Monday that Russian and Belarussian athletes and administrators be barred from participating in any organized international competition.
“In order to maintain the integrity of global sporting contests and the safety of all participants,” the IOC stated in a statement.
