Mazepin 'opens up to something different' with new business venture

Former F1 driver Nikita Mazepin has put his motorsport career on hold and launched a new event organization business venture.

Last winter, the 23-year-old was heading into his second season with Haas in F1 when, in the midst of pre-season testing, the US outfit decided to axe the Russian in the wake of his home country's invasion of Ukraine.

The team also terminated its contract with title sponsor Uralkali, the fertilizer giant owned by Mazepin's father who had bankrolled the young gun's promotion to F1.

Last summer, Mazepin was still entertaining a hope of returning to the grid at some point in the future.

But in the interim, the Russian has set up his own company, The Ninety Nine, which is apparently specialized in the organization of high-end events and parties.

"This year I had to say goodbye to Formula 1 for a while," Mazepin wrote in a post on Instagram promoting his new endeavor, with a picture of himself DJing this week at a Holloween party in a night-club.

"But in order to open myself up to something else, it is important to come to terms with setbacks and troubles. If one way of expressing oneself is closed, you have to look for another.

"For the first time I come before you in this role. It’s cool that you can discover new sides of yourself and find opportunities for development in your own projects."

Mazepin's father Dmitry and himself were added to a list of individuals sanctioned by the European Union, due to the oligarch's status as "a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin".

The former F1 driver called the situation a case of "cancel culture" against his country.

"I don’t agree with being in the sanctions," he said last summer. "I’ve said before I agree to fight it.

"Perhaps now is not the right time. If you look at the whole situation that is happening against athletes in the general case, it’s cancel culture against my country."

While several Russian drivers - like Ferrari reserve driver Robert Shwartzman - have abandoned their country's flag to be able to continue their international motorsport career, Mazepin has refused to follow such a path.

"There is a question of personal considerations," commented Mazepin.

"Whether you want to give up your country for sport and it is more important for you or not, everyone chooses for himself. But I will not do it."

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