Life is a big learning curve, says Nikita Mazepin after slow start to F1 career

Russian racer Nikita Mazepin has had a less than ideal start to his fledgling Formula One (F1) career so far. He was already under the microscope before he even started his first F1 race due to his off-track antics which could be classified as misdemeanors. It clearly affected his mindset going into his rookie season in the top competition as he made a number of mistakes on the track that have resulted in further ridicule on social media. Mazepin is a driver for American constructor Haas. They are also fairly new to the sport but had a very good first season in 2016 as they showed a lot of promise. However, things have not been going well for them at the moment as they are yet to score a single point this season in the constructor’s championship.

“I went through some difficult times, some learning times,” Mazepin said when asked about his tough start to life in F1. “I think mental health is an important thing. There are people out there who are struggling much more than me, so I cannot really complain. At the end of the day, when I turn up to a race track in Bahrain, everything is new to me,” he added. The Russian driver’s concerns stem further into the discussion of whether the mental health of drivers is not taken seriously by the teams in F1. It is no secret that F1 teams are absolutely brutal if a driver does not deliver results. There have been several instances of teams letting go of a driver in the middle of the season if the results are not up to scratch. The most recent example is that of Pierre Gasly and Red Bull.

Mazepin also said that it has been a learning curve for him and that he is getting better every day. “I think the confidence that you’re referring to is more to do with me not being confident in driving that very fast new car that I’ve only had one and a half days of testing in,” he said. Obviously, it’s one thing testing. The other thing is 19 very fast drivers around at a very high speed. Life’s a big learning curve. I’m just getting better in everything I do, and try to improve as the day goes on,” he added.

HAAS’ F1 SURVIVAL

For Haas, however, results are what matter for the team’s survival. Winning the championship is an objective they simply do not have the luxury of having. They have been struggling for a number of years in F1 and the team’s place in the competition becoming more and more unsure. Previously, Haas had stuck with two very experienced drivers in the form of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Grosjean retired from the sport after a horror accident in the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, while Magnussen was simply replaced.

Currently, team president Guenther Steiner has appointed Mazepin and Mick Schumacher (son of Michael Schumacher) as their two drivers. However, these decisions might have been forced. After the 2020 season, owner Gene Haas stopped investing in the team since wins were hard to come by and the company was operating at a loss. Thus, Steiner had to look for new investors and found two. A German telecom company called 1&1 and a Russian potash fertilizer manufacturer called Uralkali. Both sponsors wanted drivers from their respective countries, which led to the signings of Schumacher (German) and Mazepin (Russian).