Formula 1 News: Mazepin has EU sanctions lifted

The EU’s General Court on Wednesday handed a win to Russian former F1 driver Nikita Mazepin, overturning EU sanctions imposed against him as part of the bloc’s response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The European Union said it had added Mazepin, 25, to its sanctions list due to his association with his father, Dmitry, an influential businessman who it said was the main sponsor of his son’s activities as a racing driver.

The European Union had described Dmitry Mazepin as “a member of the closest circle” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The court said Mazepin had stopped being a driver for the Haas F1 racing team, meaning the EU was wrong to keep the athlete on its sanctions list after he quit the team.

It argued that putting Mazepin on the sanction list – simply because of the association with his father – was wrong.

I“The General Court recalls that the ‘association’ criterion, applied in respect of Mr Nikita Mazepin, covers persons who are, generally speaking, linked by common interests.

“In accordance with settled case-law, that criterion implies the existence of a link going beyond a family relationship, established in the light of a set of indicia sufficiently specific, precise and consistent.

“In the circumstances of the present case, the General Court holds that the Council did not discharge its burden of proof to establish such a link.

“The association between Mr Nikita Mazepin and his father is in no way established from an economic or capital perspective or by the existence of common interests linking them at the time when the maintaining acts were adopted.”

“I am hugely encouraged by today’s ruling and grateful to the European Court for a fair trial of my case,” Mazepin said in a statement e-mailed by one of his aides. “This is certainly a crucial milestone.”

Mazepin has also challenged EU and Canadian sanctions as part of his attempt to return to F1.

He currently competes in the Asian Le Mans series, a lesser-known racing league staging competitions in the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia.