Nikita Mazepin is adamant that if a Russian driver is back on the Formula 1 grid any time in the next seven years, it “will be me”.

Mazepin entered Formula 1 in 2021, the Russian driver signed with Haas when his father Dmitry Mazepin’s Uralkali company stepped up as the team’s official title sponsor.

Nikita Mazepin: It will be me

Although both he and his team-mate Mick Schumacher were pointless in their debut campaigns, they were expected to continue as Haas’ line-up for the 2022 season only for Mazepin to be dropped on the eve of pre-season testing.

Haas made the call to terminate both his contract and that of Uralkali’s title sponsorship as part of the larger global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

UK sanctions against the driver didn’t help his cause as he sought to make a comeback, declaring in 2023 that he looked “forward to rejoin the sport that I love”.

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He, however, lost his High Court against what his lawyer called “draconian” sanctions before conceding later that year that “Europe remains closed to me”.

But for Mazepin, the Formula 1 dream is not over.

“I’m 25 now,” he told Forbes Russia in a recent interview. “I think if a Russian appears in Formula 1 in the next seven years, it will be me.

“Because if someone calls me and says that I have to get behind the wheel in four months, there will be no problem. And I will definitely be in perfect athletic shape until I’m 32 at the very least.

“Right now, I’m better prepared than when I debuted in Formula 1. And my lack of relevant experience in these prototypes is very quickly fixable.

“So I think that if you see a Russian in F1 in the near future, it will be a person with my first and last name.”

Mazepin did return to racing after his F1 exit, contesting the Asian Le Mans Series in 2023 and again last year with 99 Racing where he competed under a neutral flag. This year he will contest the Middle East Trophy.

Mazepin has previously spoke of his disappointment over not being on the Formula 1 grid, saying it’s taken the shine of even watching Formula 1 Grands Prix.

“For me personally, watching a race is not always just a pleasant experience, but also a certain stress,” he said in an interview with Russia’s Championat.

“Because I am sitting, watching a race and I know that there is a track in Europe three and a half to four hours away from Moscow where a competition is taking place but, for some subjective reason, I can’t get there. For someone who is 24 years old, this is not an easy psychological challenge.”

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