WATCH: Mazepin Gets Into an Uncomfortable Argument With Race Engineer Over Schumacher
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WATCH: Mazepin Gets Into an Uncomfortable Argument With Race Engineer Over Schumacher
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Reuters
Motor racing – Formula One – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – September 24, 2021 Haas’ Nikita Mazepin arrives at the circuit REUTERS/Anton Vaganov
Reuters
Motor racing – Formula One – Russian Grand Prix – Sochi Autodrom, Sochi, Russia – September 24, 2021 Haas’ Nikita Mazepin arrives at the circuit REUTERS/Anton Vaganov
In the thin air of Mexico City, drivers often struggle with heating issues in their cars. But it’s rare for race engineers to also lose their cool, especially at their own driver. Nikita Mazepin of Haas F1 found himself on the receiving end of such an incident.
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During Q1 of the Qualifying session, an at-risk Mazepin complained about his Haas teammate Mick Schumacher to his race engineer. After being given an instruction to stay behind the German, Mazepin made another comment, to which his engineer replied in a similar fashion.
“They’re all very slow, I want to overtake Mick,” Mazepin said.
His race engineer instructed him that he can’t do so and he must stay behind.
“Are you laughing at me?” Mazepin asked.
“I’m not having a laugh Nikita,” his race engineer replied in a cold tone.
It’s quite rare to see race engineers, who are usually cooperative and very patient with the swinging emotions and tempers of drivers, lose their patience and seemingly turn against the drivers.
Both Mazepin and Schumacher failed to make it out of Q1 with the German out-qualifying his Russian teammate yet again.
Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher have a feud
Both Haas teammates have found it difficult to get along with each other.
While Schumacher has outperformed his teammate and secured the struggling Haas’ best results of the season, his teammate Mazepin has often been criticised for his aggressive on-track tactics against his teammate.
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BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 28: Mick Schumacher of Germany and Haas F1 and Nikita Mazepin of Russia and Haas F1 stand on the grid before the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on March 28, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
While in post-race interviews, the two drivers have also taken shots at each other, with Schumacher claiming Mazepin is too competitive with him.
“..seems like he has this thing in his head where he wants to, by any costs, be in front of me”, said the German as reported by Planet F1.
With Haas retaining both the drivers in 2022, it’d be expected of both to sort out their differences. In fact, it’s not unusual for teammates to have a bitter taste with each other.
What’s unusual though is for team members to have such feelings, especially someone as close and as important as a race engineer.
Also Read: Nikita Mazepin Vehemently Defends His ‘Bad Boy’ Persona in F1
