IOC set to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions, will Formula One impose a ban on Nikita Mazepin?

IOC set to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes from competitions, will Formula One impose a ban on Nikita Mazepin?

On Monday, a statement was released from the International Olympic Committee [IOC] came which recommended international sporting organisations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in all international competitions.

The FIA is an officially recognised body by the IOC will soon be taking action following Ukraine’s motorsports authority’s plea to ban the nationals from the two countries. This means Haas F1 driver Nikita Mazepin would be excluded from the 2022 Formula One grid.

The decisions have been taken following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. The brutal conflict has seen many hundreds of innocent civilians killed, millions of Ukrainians displaced and seeking refugee while the Rest of The World combating Russia by placing hefty sanctions.

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Nikita Mazepin situation unclear

Russian driver Nikita Mazepin who drives for Haas
Russian driver Nikita Mazepin who drives for Haas

Formula One recently announced it had cancelled the 2022 Russian GP following the military escalation between Russia and Ukraine. According to F1, with the ongoing situation, it was “impossible to hold” a race in Sochi. Following which the Automobile Federation of Ukraine [FAU] wrote to FIA to ban all drivers and personnel from Russia and Belarus from international competition.

An excerpt from the statement reads “In order to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB [International Olympic Committee Executive Board] recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.”

FAU president Leonid Kostyuchenko has written to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, requesting “full support and the support of the FIA” in their current situation. A collective decision will be taken by the FIA and other sporting bodies across the week.

Mazepin’s future in F1 remains unclear and Haas F1 have yet to make a comment about the driver. Haas have removed ‘Uralkali’ from their title sponsor and removed the Russian tricolour inspired livery from their cars. The Russian Fertilizer company is owned by Mazepin’s father Dmitry Mazepin.

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