F1 News
Steiner declares farewell to Mazepin: 'It wasn’t an easy decision'
- GPblog.com
Guenther Steiner had to make a tough decision at the start of the season. Although Haas wanted to give Russian Nikita Mazepin another chance after a disappointing first year, the Russian war in Ukraine was the last straw. Mazepin had to step down and Kevin Magnussen took his place. For Steiner, this was not an easy choice at all, he told Racer.
At the end of last year, the American team decided to continue the cooperation with Mick Schumacher and Mazepin. During the preseason, however, war broke out in Ukraine, forcing Haas to suddenly intervene and say goodbye to Mazepin.
Steiner admits he had to think for a while about the choice he had to make. However, the situation ultimately gave him no other option. "It was about how to execute it without hurting any people and doing the least amount of damage," the team boss stressed.
"A lot of people wouldn’t have been happy if we didn’t do what we did. Therefore it wasn’t an easy decision, but it was a clear decision (about) what needed to be done, because as much as the people involved with it didn’t do anything wrong, it’s the association with it."
Magnussen sets good example for Schumacher
In the end, the choice for Magnussen was not a bad one. In five of the thirteen races, the Dane managed to score points, while his teammate Schumacher only managed to do so twice.