The Haas F1 Team has condemned Nikita Mazepin’s actions in a video that was uploaded to the Russian racing driver’s Instagram story earlier in the week.
The now-deleted video showed Mazepin groping an Instagram model in the backseat of a car as she pushed his hand away.
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In a statement on Wednesday, the American racing outfit said: “Haas F1 Team does not condone the behaviour of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media.
“Additionally, the very fact that the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team. The matter is being dealt with internally and no further comment shall be made at this time,” Haas added.
Meanwhile, Nikita Mazepin issued an apology of his own on Instagram:
“I would like to apologise for my recent actions, both in terms of my own inappropriate behaviour, and the fact that it was posted on to social media.
“I am sorry for the offence I have rightly caused and to the embarrassment I have brought to Haas F1 Team. I have to hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula One driver and I acknowledge I have let myself and many people down. I promise I will learn from this,” he added.
However, many F1 fans are still calling on the Haas F1 Team to drop Mazepin for the 2021 season, insisting that someone like him doesn’t deserve a place on the grid.
READ: ‘He’s A Sick Person’: Nikita Mazepin Under Fire After Posting Video Of Him Groping Instagram Model