Haas on splitting with Mazepin: 'We did the right thing'

Guenther Steiner says that in hindsight, Haas did the right thing by severing its ties with the Mazepin family ahead of the start of the 2022 season although it led to a challenging period for the US outfit.

In the wake of Russia's invasion last year of Ukraine, Haas unilaterally terminated its sponsorship contract with Uralkali and parted ways with pay driver Nikita Mazepin, whose father, oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, is a majority shareholder of the chemical giant.

Haas called in Kevin Magnussen at the last hour to replace Mazepin and partner Mick Schumacher, but Steiner admits that the changes, while inevitable, disrupted Haas' preparations in the early part of the team's F1 season.

"We couldn’t take any other decision after the invasion of Ukraine," Steiner told Speedcafe. "I think looking back, I think we did the right thing.

"it didn’t have any impact [financially], but it certainly impacted the beginning [of the season]. There was a lot of work to be done to get back to where we wanted to be.

"But otherwise, once we got racing in Bahrain, you see how fast life in F1 is.

"There was never any looking back, just let’s get the best out of it. We’ve got an opportunity. It was a challenge. But the challenge gave us an opportunity. Let’s focus on that and let’s keep going."

• Read also: Haas unveils new look thanks to Moneygram sponsorship

Haas' was rewarded for its efforts thanks to Magnussen who scored a remarkable fifth-place at the opening race in Bahrain, the Dane adding another pair of top-ten finishes in the following three races.

There were ups and down thereafter during the season which Haas concluded P8 in F1's Constructors' standings.

But along the way, the team's results were good enough for Haas to gain a new title sponsor, Moneygram for 2023.

"First of all, it’s not only the financials but MoneyGram is a very solid, good company which, although it is an American company, does 75% of their business globally," said Steiner.

"So the fact they want to be part of it shows how good F1 is and they chose Haas because they think we are on a good path.

"It shows to our employees, to the fans that Haas is here to stay because last year there were hard questions.

"I think we have now one of the most solid teams in the paddock. There are 10 solid teams on the grid and Haas are one of them.

"It’s also a recognition of what we are doing, the fact they choose to go with us. MoneyGram is a solid company. So I think all in all, there are no negatives to MoneyGram, there’s just positives."

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