Mystery surrounds shock Dmitry Mazepin F1 paddock return
No one can explain Dmitry Mazepin's surprise return to the F1 padd🔯ock in Bahrain.
Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin was spotted in the F1 pad🦋dock during the 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 result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, caused a stir on Friday.
Mazepin, the father of former F1 driver Nikita, made his fir𓂃st appearance in the paddock since Uralkali’s title sponsorship 🌄with Haas ended, but question marks surrounded why he was there.
While Nikita Mazepin is bann🔯ed from racing under the Russian flag, neither he or his father have been barred from entering the F1 paddock as long as they have the credentials required.
But according to , no team or F1 itself could confirm wh🅷o had been responsible for granting Mazepin with paddock access.
Alp🔥ine, Merce꧑des and Haas all said that the paddock pass had not come from them, ESPN report.
"Dmitry was on a personal visit.ཧ He has remained friends with many people in the Formula 1 family and was happy to see them in Bahrain,” A representative for Mazepin told ESPN.
Mazepin h♌as links to both the Mercedes and Haas teams, as well as Alpine. He is understood to have visited the hospitality facilities a💜t Mercedes, as well as paying a visit to Alpine.
Alpine team principal Oliv༒er Oakes’ Hitech Grand Prix team was sponsored by Mazepin’s Uralk🦄ali firm, and was one the teams his son drove for as he came up through the junior categories.
"I've said hello to him, I haven't met him,” Oakes is quoted as saying by ESPN when asked about Mazepin’s presence in the F1 paddoཧck.
"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 o﷽f speculation that the A♏lpine F1 team may be sold, something Renault chief executive Luca de Meo has strenuously denied.
RacingNews365 report that Maꦕzepin entered the paddock via a “rotational pass”, with prior guest approval ꦗnot required.
No record of any application reportedly exists on F1🎶’s systems.
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