Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, who was set to make his Formula One debut next season, might have his contract with Haas team terminated after he was filmed groping a young woman’s breast in his car.
The scandal erupted several days after he was officially announced as a new driver for the American racing team alongside Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher.
READ MORE: ‘Abhorrent & honored’: Haas F1 team and drivers Mazepin and Schumacher facing media frenzy for very contrasting reasons
The 21-year-old Russian posted a video to his Instagram account showing him touching a woman in the backseat of a car.
As one of the straps of her dress becomes loose, Mazepin appears to reach out and grope the women’s chest.
The video, which caused a public uproar, was immediately removed from his Instagram page and he issued a public apology in the wake of the scandal.
Formula One condemned Mazepin’s behavior with Haas subsequently describing his actions as “abhorrent.”
Although there has been no official confirmation, reports have started to emerge that claim Haas might cut ties with the Russian athlete who has severely damaged his reputation, which could impact the team’s attractiveness to sponsors.
The fact that Mazepin has removed the Haas team from his social media bio has further fueled speculation about the possible split.
Some journalists have suggested that he could be replaced by Brazilian driver Pietro Fittipaldi, who recently updated his bio on Twitter, saying that he is ‘Haas F1 driver.’
Neither Haas nor Mazepin have issued any official statements and the Russian pilot’s Formula One future remains uncertain.
