Nikita Mazepin

Nikita Mazepin, born on March second, nineteen ninety-nine, is a prominent Russian racing driver and motorsport executive. He began his journey in motorsport in Moscow, where he was raised as the son of Dmitry Mazepin, a Belarusian-Russian oligarch and owner of Uralchem. Mazepin's early career saw him excel in karting, finishing as the runner-up to Lando Norris at the senior Karting World Championship in two thousand fourteen.

Transitioning to junior formulae, Mazepin made his mark in Formula Renault 2.0 before moving to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in two thousand sixteen, where he finished tenth in the following season. His talent shone through in the GP3 Series in two thousand eighteen, where he secured a runner-up position behind Anthoine Hubert in his rookie year with ART. He also achieved third place in the 2019–20 F3 Asian Championship, showcasing his growing prowess on the track.

In two thousand nineteen, Mazepin graduated to FIA Formula 2, finishing fifth in two thousand twenty with Hitech. His career took a significant leap when he became a test driver for Force India from two thousand sixteen to two thousand eighteen, and he topped the Barcelona in-season test in two thousand nineteen with Mercedes, driving the W10. In two thousand twenty-one, he signed with Haas to partner Mick Schumacher, making his Formula One debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix under a neutral flag representing the Russian Automobile Federation.

Despite a challenging start, including a crash on the first lap of his debut race, Mazepin managed to achieve a career-best fourteenth place in Azerbaijan. His time in Formula One was cut short when his multi-year contract with Haas was terminated for the two thousand twenty-two season following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leading to two years of arbitration and legal proceedings. After leaving Formula One, Mazepin founded the Jordanian-British sportscar racing team 99 Racing, competing in the Asian Le Mans Series from two thousand twenty-three to two thousand twenty-four and winning multiple races. He also celebrated a class victory at the Silk Way Rally in two thousand twenty-two in rally raid.