Skip to main content
Read page text
page 4
PIT + PADDOCK Haas has Monza scare before Uralkali payment FORMULA 1 The Haas Formula 1 team was under threat of having its equipment seized at the Dutch Grand Prix amid a row with former sponsor Uralkali but will race at Monza this weekend. Uralkali, the Russian fertiliser company that sponsored Haas in 2021 and 2022 through driver Nikita Mazepin, saw its deal terminated in early 2022 in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A Swiss arbitration court ruled in June that Haas should refund Uralkali part of its sponsorship payment that had already been made for the 2022 season, plus an F1 car also promised to the company. While the court stated that Haas was within its rights to terminate the deal, it also said that the American-owned squad could only keep a portion of the $13million sponsorship balance paid for the campaign. Haas was therefore ordered to give back the remainder of the sponsorship payment that went beyond 4 March 2022, when the deal was cancelled. But with neither the payment nor car having arrived by the July deadline, Uralkali decided to escalate the matter with courts in Holland last week. It successfully asked for Haas’s assets at the Dutch GP to be seized and, as a result, bailiffs and police visited the Haas team at Zandvoort on Thursday night to evaluate the team’s assets. While it was agreed that Haas’s participation in the Dutch GP could proceed as normal, the team was told that it would not be allowed to remove its cars and equipment from the country after the race until the outstanding payment had been made, putting its plans to travel to Monza’s Italian GP at risk. Haas clarified on Friday that it was working with Uralkali to finalise the transfer of the funds, but said it had to be sure that any payments fully complied with sanctions that have been imposed on various Russian companies. The statement said: “Haas fully intends to pay to Uralkali all amounts due pursuant to the arbitration award, and there is no dispute over the amounts owed. Haas has been working with its lawyers to ensure payment will comply with all relevant US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions and regs.” Mazepin tested in 2022 before deal was terminated Uralkali issued its own statement on Friday, welcoming the fact that Haas was working on sorting out the payment – but said it did not view the sanctions issue as a justifiable reason for the delay. “The arbitral ruling was issued 12 June with immediate effect and has been ignored by Haas,” said a Uralkali spokesperson. “Haas has had over two months to implement the ruling, and, as was reported previously, Uralkali reached out to Haas’s representatives with options about how to make payment and where to send the race car, without ever receiving a substantive answer. “There are not now and never have been any sanctions issues preventing Haas from fulfilling its obligations. Nevertheless, they have gone unfulfilled. We are delighted to hear that, following last night’s visit from Dutch authorities, Haas is finally paying attention to the arbitral ruling. Uralkali wants nothing more than to receive what it was awarded during a fair judicial process.” On Monday afternoon Uralkali confirmed it had finally received a refund payment believed to total $9m and an F1 car. Haas had insisted the payment had been made on Friday and confirmation was delayed because it was the weekend. It is understood the $9m sum was deposited into an account in the Middle East after Haas had been concerned that making a direct payment would be in breach of sanctions placed on Russian businesses. “Uralkali have now confirmed receipt of last Friday’s financial transfer and therefore our trucks have been given clearance to depart the Netherlands and make their way to Italy immediately,” Haas said in a statement. The one-day delay should not impact preparations for this weekend’s Italian GP. MARK MANN-BRYANS AND OLEG KARPOV IMAGES /MOTORSPORT INGHAM B IMAGES /MOTORSPORT INGHAM B 4 AUTOSPORT.COM 29 AUGUST 2024 Haas race cars were set to be held in the Netherlands but will make it to Italy
page 5
IMAGES JEP/MOTORSPORT Doohan gets his F1 chance with Alpine for 2025 FORMULA 1 Alpine has finally confirmed that Jack Doohan will race for its Formula 1 team in 2025. The French manufacturer has been evaluating options for a replacement for the Haasbound Esteban Ocon for several months. And with its efforts to lure Carlos Sainz on board having failed, it has elected to hand its young driver Doohan the opportunity to partner Pierre Gasly. Doohan, who has acted as reserve for the past two seasons, will be the first Alpine Academy driver to step up to a race seat with the F1 squad. “I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with Alpine,” said the 21-year-old. “I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready.” New Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said: “I worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the team.” Doohan, son of five-time 500cc motorcycling world champion Mick (with Jack, above), has achieved success on the junior single-seater ladder. He was runner-up in the 2021 F3 championship and finished third overall in F2 in 2023. JON NOBLE Schumacher and Lawson in Williams frame FORMULA 1 Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson have emerged as leading contenders for Williams if the Grove-based squad elects to make an imminent driver change. Williams team boss James Vowles is understood to be evaluating his options in the wake of another big accident for Logan Sargeant at Zandvoort last weekend. The American crashed heavily in Saturday morning’s wet final free practice session and missed qualifying as a result. It is understood that Vowles has sounded out rival team bosses over options to partner Alex Albon for the rest of the season. One option is Schumacher, who is reserve driver for Mercedes, whose engines Williams run. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said he would like to see Schumacher get another opportunity in F1. “I would very much hope that Mick gets the chance because we haven’t seen the real Mick,” he said. “The opportunity with Williams is something that we would be cheering for. But this is James Vowles’s decision.” Big Zandvoort crash has put Sargeant under more pressure IMAGES GALLOWAY/MOTORSPORT When asked if Red Bull reserve driver Lawson was available, team boss Christian Horner replied: “If they needed a driver next weekend, we’d certainly be open to that. It would depend on which terms and if we needed him back that we could have him back quite quickly.” JON NOBLE 29 AUGUST 2024 AUTOSPORT.COM 5

Page Text

View plaintext

IMAGES

JEP/MOTORSPORT

Doohan gets his F1 chance with Alpine for 2025

FORMULA 1 Alpine has finally confirmed that Jack Doohan will race for its Formula 1 team in 2025.

The French manufacturer has been evaluating options for a replacement for the Haasbound Esteban Ocon for several months. And with its efforts to lure Carlos Sainz on board having failed, it has elected to hand its young driver Doohan the opportunity to partner Pierre Gasly.

Doohan, who has acted as reserve for the past two seasons, will be the first Alpine Academy driver to step up to a race seat with the F1 squad. “I am so happy to secure promotion into a full-time race seat in 2025 with Alpine,” said the 21-year-old. “I am very grateful for the trust and belief by the team’s management. There is so much work ahead to be prepared and I will give my best in the meantime to absorb as much information and knowledge to be ready.”

New Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes said: “I worked with Jack back in 2019 and I am fully aware of his raw talent and potential. He is a very hard worker behind the scenes and his commitment is hugely valued by the team.”

Doohan, son of five-time 500cc motorcycling world champion Mick (with Jack, above), has achieved success on the junior single-seater ladder. He was runner-up in the 2021 F3 championship and finished third overall in F2 in 2023. JON NOBLE

Schumacher and Lawson in Williams frame

FORMULA 1 Mick Schumacher and Liam Lawson have emerged as leading contenders for Williams if the Grove-based squad elects to make an imminent driver change.

Williams team boss James Vowles is understood to be evaluating his options in the wake of another big accident for Logan Sargeant at Zandvoort last weekend. The American crashed heavily in Saturday morning’s wet final free practice session and missed qualifying as a result.

It is understood that Vowles has sounded out rival team bosses over options to partner Alex Albon for the rest of the season. One option is Schumacher, who is reserve driver for Mercedes, whose engines Williams run.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said he would like to see Schumacher get another opportunity in F1. “I would very much hope that Mick gets the chance because we haven’t seen the real Mick,” he said. “The opportunity with Williams is something that we would be cheering for. But this is James Vowles’s decision.”

Big Zandvoort crash has put Sargeant under more pressure

IMAGES

GALLOWAY/MOTORSPORT

When asked if Red Bull reserve driver Lawson was available, team boss Christian Horner replied: “If they needed a driver next weekend, we’d certainly be open to that. It would depend on which terms and if we needed him back that we could have him back quite quickly.” JON NOBLE

29 AUGUST 2024 AUTOSPORT.COM 5

read next page

My Bookmarks

Buy this Book
Skip to main content