Nikita Mazepin has got off to a terrible start to his rookie season in the premier class of motorsport. The young Russian was embroiled in several controversies on and off the track. As a result, the F1 brotherhood criticized him heavily. And so far this season Mazepin has been surpassed by his teammate Mick Schumacher.
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Meanwhile, Mika Salo, former Finnish driver and former FIA steward in several races, praised Nikita Mazepin for adapting to one of the slowest cars on the grid. Salo also claims that the young Russian is as fast as his teammate Mick Schumacher.
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What has Mika Salo to say?
As quoted by Formula Passion, the former Formula 1 driver Mika Salo, who had previously criticized Nikita Mazepin, has changed his mind and has now praised the young Russian driver.
“We didn’t know at the time that your car was doing so badly. It’s just a terrible car. Nikita has learned a lot since then and drives very well now. Everything is much better than in the first race, ”said Mika Salo.
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 12: Mick Schumacher from Germany and Haas F1 and Nikita Mazepin from Russia and Haas F1 look out from the grid on the first day of F1 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 12, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain to. (Photo by Joe Portlock / Getty Images)
“It is not normal [that they collide so much] But if your car isn’t working well, you can only fight with your teammate. “
“They are almost three seconds slower than everyone else, so it makes perfect sense that they are almost always next to each other on the track. Nikita is now almost equal to Mick in terms of speed. That’s why they are constantly facing each other. “(Quotes translated via Google)
Pre-Formula 1 Mercedes test spoils Nikita Mazepin: Marc Surer
Nikita Mazepin has been struggling to maneuver his VF-21 since the start of the season. As a result, he was involved in many falls and spinning frequently.
Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer believes that pre-Formula 1 testing with Mercedes cars hampered the young Russian performance in its rookie season. Mazepin tested Silver Arrows in 2019 and 2020.
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“He is spoiled because of that, because many drivers can drive fast with a Mercedes,” said Marc Surer.
Formula 1 F1 – Dutch Grand Prix – Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands – September 4, 2021. Haas’ Nikita Mazepin REUTERS / Piroschka Van De Wouw.
“That might have made him think; ‘Formula 1 is not that difficult’. But then he goes from the best car on the grid to the worst, and that’s tough, of course. ”(Quotes translated via Google)
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DIVE DEEPER
Can Nikita Mazepin put in a decent performance in his home race in Sochi next weekend? What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
The post Former F1 driver praises Nikita Mazepin first appeared on monter-une-startup.
