Verdict: Who will replace Nikita Mazepin at Haas F1

With under two weeks to go before lights out in Bahrain, after Haas sacked Nikita Mazepin, the team have to find a replacement for the Russian driver.

After Haas dropped their title sponsor, Uralkali, Mazepin’s position in F1 came under threat. Organisations such as the International Olympic Committee and Ukraine’s motor federation called for all Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from international events. Now, Mazepin has been removed from his seat as his country invaded Ukraine.

Mick Schumacher, son of Michael Schumacher, remains the only driver to be confirmed at Haas for the 2022 season with just under two weeks to go the Bahrain Grand Prix. However, the American team still has a handful of candidates to chose from.

Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg hasn’t had a permanent seat in F1 since 2019, when the German driver was racing for Renault that season – alongside Daniel Ricciardo.

However, he’s had a couple of brief spells during the 2020 season. Hulkenberg came in to replace, then, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll when they had COVID-19, during the British, 70th anniversary and Eifel Grand Prix weekends.

A power unit issue meant the German driver couldn’t race during the British Grand Prix, but he managed to put in two impressive performances during his brief stint in 2020. He went on to secure 10 points in his only two rounds of the season, six at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and four during the Eifel Grand Prix – despite being rushed into the car.

Hulkenberg was previously connected to Haas as the German was rumoured to join the team as a replacement for Romain Grosjean, at the end of the 2019 season. However, the American team opted to keep an unchanged line-up for 2020.

Currently, Hulkenberg holds the reserve driver role at Aston Martin’s F1 team. Unless the Silverstone-based team can see a way to part ways with him, it seems unlikely Hulkenberg will return to the grid in ’22.

Antonio Giovinazzi

Antonio Giovinazzi drove for Alfa Romeo last year, alongside the 2007 world champion, Kimi Raikkonen. By the end of the championship, He was shown the door as the team opted to run with Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou for the upcoming season.

Giovinazzi still managed to find a racing seat for ’22 as the Italian driver joined Formula E’s Dragon/Penske Autosport team, alongside Sergio Sette Camara. However, Giovinazzi has struggled to adapt to the new Formula.

The Italian driver finished at the back of the grid in his first weekend out for FE, finishing 20th in both races. He also failed to finish FE’s third round in Mexico.

In the end, it may be a logical choice to opt for Giovinazzi – as long as he can find a way out of his FE commitments. The Italian driver is a Ferrari junior academy driver and Haas is a team who are supplied with a Ferrari engine. In addition, the poor performance last year – despite writing off the season to work on the VF-22 – could be down to Haas’ rookie line-up. They didn’t have an experienced driver who could help develop the car forward.

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Pietro Fittipaldi

If Haas opted to run with their test/reserve driver, Pietro Fittipaldi, it wouldn’t be surprising as the driver will likely be the main contender for the seat. Fittipaldi made his F1 debut during the 2020 season, when Grosjean crashed into the barrier at the Bahrain Grand Prix which saw his car explode into flames on the first lap.

According to Associated Press, Haas F1 owner, Gene Haas, has said Fittipaldi will take part in the Bahrain test later on this week, but the race seat is still undecided.

The Brazilian, Grandson of two-time F1 world champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, failed to score any points for Haas during his two races at the end of the 2020 season. His best finish currently stands at 17th which he secured during the Sakhir Grand Prix, but he finished last in both events – out of those who completed the race.

Fittipaldi might be one of the closest contenders for the seat but Haas may not want to run with another inexperienced driver, in a season where car development could see them finish races in point-scoring positions.

Oscar Piastri

Mark Webbers protégé, Oscar Piastri, was a force to be reckoned with in the junior Formula categories last year. The Australian driver secured the Formula 2 championship with impressive style in his rookie season.

Despite his performances, Piastri won’t return to the F2 grid this season to defend his championship. Instead, he will be sidelined as Alpine’s reserve driver – due to his Alpine Academy connections.

While Haas have stated they are looking for a driver with ‘more actual experience,’ according to AP, Piastri’s ability could still provide the performances which Haas are looking for.

However, with the lack of F1 experience, Piastri may maintain his position on the sidelines as he initially intended.

Verdict: Antonio Giovinazzi

With ongoing reports of Haas’ desire to run a line-up that includes an experienced F1 driver, all the fingers point to Giovinazzi getting the seat.

While Hulkenberg is also an experienced F1 driver, the Italian has been out of the sport for a few months – not years, and that would likely be the better option for the team. Instead of waiting for a driver to dust off the cobwebs and settle back into F1, they can run a driver who has recently competed at the highest level.

That’s all for the article: ‘Verdict: Who will replace Nikita Mazepin at Haas F1’! Who do you think will replace the Russian driver? Let us know in the comments!

Read more Formula One here: 

• Haas F1 terminate Uralkali and Nikita Mazepin contracts
• 4 bold predictions for the F1 2022 season
• Will Nikita Mazepin be racing for Haas F1 in Bahrain Grand Prix?
• F1 Russian Grand Prix yet to be cancelled as Russia invades Ukraine