Nikita Mazepin made his debut in Formula One in the 2021 season. But even before entering the sport, the Russian driver was involved in a controversy that showed him in a bad light. So in his rookie season, he got little love and positive recognition in the sport.

But Russian journalist Alexei Popov believes Mazepin fell victim to the perception that he is the son of the billionaire and not a competent driver.

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Russian Journalist mentions how Nikita Mazepin was mistreated in F1 in 2021

As reported by Championat.com, Popov stated Mazepin did not get praise for his driving as everyone believed he was in the sport because of his father. He also pointed out that Nikita is not the only driver on the grid who has a billionaire father.

“It’s about perception. So Nikita fell victim to the fact that he has a rich father, although in modern Formula 1, the same bunny boy, Lando Norris, has a dad with a fortune of £1 billion. However, for some reason, it is not customary to talk about this. But nonetheless!” said Popov.

It is interesting to see that Popov comparing Nikita Mazepin to Lando Norris. Although they both come from affluent backgrounds, their junior careers have been totally different.

Norris finished P2 in a super competitive 2018 F2 season which featured now F1 drivers George Russell, Alex Albon, and Nicholas Latifi.

While Many fans have accused the young Russian of being a pay driver. There were a lot of question marks on him before he had entered the sport. He had finished in P5 in the Formula 2 season in which is now Haas teammate Mick Schumacher had won.

But we hope that next year Nikita Mazepin can change the surrounding perception of being a pay driver. He is expected to be in a much more competitive Haas next season. Hopefully, he can showcase his talent and speed and prove the doubters wrong.

READ MORE: Who Is Nikita Mazepin’s Billionaire Father – Dmitry Mazepin?