Guenther Steiner, the team principal of the Haas F1 team, denies that the livery of his team’s new car is designed to circumvent the rules surrounding the use of the Russian flag.
All-new Haas driver Nikita Mazepin continues to bring life to the brewery for the Haas F1 team, even in terms of the livery of the American team’s new F1 car. At the presentation of the VF21 and the new partner Uralkali, the company of father Mazepin, there is at least a reference to the Russian flag in the livery.
Cheaters now claim that these colors were deliberately chosen to circumvent the flag ban issued by the arbitration court in December. After all, this means that Nikita Mazepin can only participate in the F1 World Championship under a neutral flag.
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) discovered an organized doping system among the Russians during the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 and imposed as a punishment that no participation in World Cups and the Olympic Games is allowed. Many athletes therefore come out under a neutral flag.
These conditions can sometimes be called absurd because Russia may simply organize a GP of Russia in Sochi, but the Russian national anthem may not be played there.
“We didn’t get around anything,” said Haas F1 team principal Steiner. “We already came up with this color scheme last year before all of this came out from the WADA about the Russian flag.”
“Obviously we cannot use the Russian flag as the Russian flag, but you can use colors on the car. Ultimately, it is the athlete who cannot display the Russian flag and not the team, the team is an American team. ”
Steiner also says that there have been consultations with the FIA and that is also confirmed by the federation to ‘RaceFans.net.’
“The team explained to the FIA about the livery. The ruling of the arbitration court does not prohibit the use of the colors of the Russian flag, ”it said in a response.
More F1 News: