Haas F1 can keep details of the Mazepin action secret

A week after Haas announced that Mazepin would make his F1 debut with the team next year, a video was briefly uploaded to his Instagram account showing him groping a woman in the back of a car.

Haas was quick to condemn Mazepin’s “hideous” behavior, telling Motorsport.com that it would take the matter “very seriously” ahead of the F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi last week.

Mazepin apologized after the incident and said he had to “keep me at a higher level as a Formula 1 driver”.

On the Sunday after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Haas team boss Steiner said that the matter was “still in my pending subject” as the team was concentrating on the last race weekend of the year.

“We had a race weekend, as you know, so I didn’t focus on that,” said Steiner.

“This will be a job for the coming week when I get home to the office. So I’m traveling and then we’ll take care of it.

“But we talked until the start of the race weekend and I said it doesn’t make sense for us to do anything now because there is a focus that needs to be maintained.”

Mazepin secured an F1 super license in the final race of the F2 season in Bahrain earlier this month and finished fifth in the championship standings.

The Russian driver will bring considerable assistance to the Haas team. His career is financed by his father, Dmitry Mazepin, the billionaire of the Uralkali chemical company.

Steiner made it clear that despite the financial implications, Haas could still make an objective assessment of the situation, but said the details of any action taken could ultimately remain private.

“Yes, of course I can make an objective assessment,” said Steiner. “But as I said, I’ll take care of it in the coming week.

“Maybe you will never know what was treated and under what circumstances because I will keep it private.”

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Steiner said it was important not to delve into his personal response to the incident and said he needed to remain objective and learn all the details before making a decision.

“I don’t think it’s about my personal reaction,” said Steiner.

“My first things were, I looked into it and I had no reaction because I have to be objective. So I don’t have to react to it.

“I have to bring the facts together, talk to people, talk and talk to those involved [about] how it happened. And then I can give my opinion.

“At this moment it doesn’t get on my nerves personally. I cannot do that because then I am no longer objective.

“I have to be objective in all of these things.”