Former Haas sponsor Uralkali has escalated its legal battle with the Formula 1 team by seeking action from the Dutch courts ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix.
The Russian fertilizer company owned by Dmitry Mazepin, the father of former Haas driver Nikita Mazepin, has requested the seizure of Haas's assets, including their cars and other equipment, over an outstanding payment.
The dispute stems from a Swiss arbitration court ruling in June, which ordered Haas to refund part of its sponsorship payment for 2022.
While Haas was allowed to terminate the deal following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they were required to return a portion of the sponsorship funds, estimated at $9 million, as well as deliver to Uralkali an F1 car raced by Mazepin during the 2021 season.
Despite being ordered to make the payment by July, Haas has reportedly failed to comply. Uralkali has taken the matter to Dutch courts this week and secured a provisional ruling in their favor.
As a result, bailiffs and police visited the Haas team at Zandvoort on Thursday night to assess and inventory the team’s assets.
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Haas has acknowledged the outstanding payment and stated that they are working to resolve the issue. The team has emphasized that they are committed to complying with all relevant sanctions and regulations.
“Haas fully intends to pay to Uralkali all amounts due pursuant to the arbitration award, and there is no dispute over the amounts owed,” the team stated.
“Haas has been working with its lawyers to ensure payment will comply with all relevant US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions and regulations.
“We will continue working with Uralkali in the coming days to resolve this matter definitively.”
Uralkali has welcomed Haas's acknowledgment of the debt but maintained that there are no sanctions preventing Haas from fulfilling its obligations.
"We are aware that Dutch bailiffs, accompanied by police, last night arrived at the Haas paddock and took an inventory of all racing equipment and other property,” commented a Uralkali spokesperson.
“This is the expected consequence of Haas’ refusal to obey the ruling of arbitrage awarding payment and a race car to Uralkali.
“The arbitral ruling was issued June 12 with immediate effect and has been ignored by Haas.
“Haas has had over two months to implement the ruling, and, as was reported previously, Uralkali reached out to Haas’ representatives with options about how to make payment and where to send the race car, without ever receiving a substantive answer.
“There are not now and never have been any sanctions issues preventing Haas from fulfilling its obligations. Nevertheless, they have gone unfulfilled.
“We are delighted to hear that, following last night’s visit from Dutch authorities, Haas is finally paying attention to the arbitral ruling.
“Uralkali wants nothing more than to receive what it was awarded during a fair judicial process and hopes that Haas will move quickly to rectify the situation so that all sides can move on."
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