The candidates who could replace Nikita Mazepin at Haas

The Formula One future of Nikita Mazepin is in doubt as American team Haas weighs up the possibility of ditching the Russian driver and the sponsorship he brings with his father’s company Uralkali ahead of the new season.

Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine last week, the team removed Uralkali branding from its car and motorhome at the final day of the first preseason test and said it would consider the future of the deal this week. However, Haas could have its decision on Mazepin made for it if the FIA follows the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian athletes from competing in international sporting events.

With the first race of the F1 season less than 20 days away, Haas will need to move quickly to find a replacement for Mazepin if he leaves the team. Below is a list of likely (and less likely) drivers who could fill the position alongside Mick Schumacher at Haas.

Pietro Fittipaldi

Brazil’s Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of former world champion Emerson, seems like the most obvious Mazepin replacement in the short term. Fittipaldi is the team’s reserve driver, a role which exists in F1 purely because teams occasionally need to replace one of their two lead drivers. It’s likely Fittipaldi will get some kind of running at next week’s Bahrain test, although something more full-time beyond that might be a stretch.

Fittipaldi’s two F1 starts came in his reserve driver capacity for Haas as the stand-in for Romain Grosjean after the French driver’s big accident at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. While his results were unspectacular, he was parachuted in at short notice and didn’t make any huge mistakes.

Fittipaldi’s…