F1 News
Mazepin doesn't respect agreements: We can't have that mentality
- GPblog.com
Nikita Mazepin entered Formula 1 with a bad reputation and that hasn't improved during the first races of the season. Not only does he often spin, but he also often gets in the way of his colleagues. Former F1 driver Nicolas Kiesa doesn't think that the Russian will change his behaviour because of the criticism.
Kiesa, who once drove a handful of races for Minardi as a teammate of Jos Verstappen, thinks that a driver like Mazepin has a very different view on life than he does himself. That would be because thanks to his extremely rich father he doesn't have to fight for his spot and therefore can ignore (unwritten) rules.
"Mazepin doesn't respect the agreements made between drivers, especially in qualifying. When it comes to your behaviour and conduct on the track, it makes a difference to know that dad will always pay, no matter what you do. You can't have that mentality if you're from Scandinavian countries. We have to behave decently and we can't go our own way too much," Kiesa told BT Sport.
Criticism of Mazepin 'for show' according to Steiner
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner, meanwhile, believes Mazepin's status as a 'bad boy' is being abused by the FOM. According to him, they are doing everything they can to milk this bias."Formula 1 will always broadcast comments about him because people like to hear that. If they broadcast something in which nice and sweet things are said about other people, nobody would care," Steiner is referring to Toto Wolff's radio message during the GP of Spain.