Nikita Mazepin’s pre-Formula 1 Mercedes testing could be one of the reasons he’s struggling at Haas – he thought F1 was “not that difficult”.
That is the opinion of former F1 driver and expert Marc Surer.
Mazepin made the Formula 1 grid with Haas this season, where he was in the worst car on the grid and lapped himself at the bottom of the field.
The Russian rookie has done several spins, which has earned him the nickname “MazeSpin”, and is currently P21 in the drivers’ standings – even behind Robert Kubica, who has only participated in two races.
Surer believes part of the problem was Mazepin’s pre-Formula 1 tests with Mercedes, which his father Dmitry paid a pretty penny for in the car for those days.
Mazepin spent time testing a Mercedes F1 car in 2019 and 2020.
“He’s spoiled,” Motorsport.com quotes Surer to the YouTube channel Formula1.de.
Because “a lot of people can drive fast with a Mercedes” and gives them the feeling that “Formula 1 is not that difficult”.
And then he went from “the best car to the worst – that was tough, of course”.
These tests, the report adds, cost half a million a day!
If your P14 finish at Monza puts Nikita Mazepin down to P21 in a world championship with 20 places. # F1 pic.twitter.com/rvF4C9YV35
– PlanetF1 (@ Planet_F1) September 13, 2021
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Mazepin’s struggles and reputation were not aided by multiple clashes with teammate Mick Schumacher on the track.
In the last two races alone, the two had problems in qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix, this race and then again at the start of the Italian GP.
Schumacher hopes that the two will find a way forward, especially since they will be teammates again next season.
“Everything has been said from every side and hopefully,” says the German driver, “we can find the right solution and the right way out.”
Surer thinks Mazepin is “overwhelmed” and adds that many of his moves – especially with Schumacher – are “not calculated or prepared”, but “almost out of panic”.
“For me it’s out of control,” he added. “He has no overview.”
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