Hitech Grand Prix terminates Uralkali sponsorship deal

The FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 team had been sponsored by the company since 2016, the CEO of which is Dmitry Mazepin, father of former Formula 1 driver Nikita.

But they ran without Uralkali branding during last week’s pre-season testing in Bahrain as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued.

On Tuesday, they confirmed the agreement had been terminated, adding that they were “shocked and saddened” by the invasion and wished for a “swift and peaceful end” to the conflict.

In a statement, the team said: “Hitech Grand Prix has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the sponsorship agreement of Uralkali.

“As with the rest of the motorsport community, the team are shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wish for a swift and peaceful end to the ongoing conflict.”

Uralkali became a major team partner of the Silverstone-based team when Mazepin drove for them in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship in 2016. He also raced for the team in F2 in 2020.

The Russian driver was dropped from the Haas F1 team last week, along with Uralkali’s sponsorship.

On 24 February, Russian forces ordered by president Vladimir Putin began an invasion on neighbouring Ukraine, which has so far spanned over a week .

The invasion has been condemned by Western nations, with sanctions being imposed from countries worldwide on Russia.

Sporting authorities have also moved to ban Russian athletes and sporting events, though motorsport governing body the FIA has only so far banned Russian and Belarusian drivers from competing under their national flags.

During the Barcelona pre-season F1 test, when war broke out in Ukraine, Haas moved to strip its cars of Uralkali branding and Mazepin’s future remained unclear given his family ties to Putin.

But on Saturday morning, Haas announced it had parted ways with both Russian chemical giant Uralkali and Mazepin.