Haas taking Mazepin video incident "very seriously"
Haas Formula 1 chief Gunther Steiner says the team is taking the recent incident with Nikita Mazepin "very seriously", but has asked for privacy as it addresses the matter.
A video emerged earlier this week showing 2021 Haas F1 driver Mazepin groping a woman's chest in the back of the car after it was uploaded to his Instagram account.
Although it was quickly deleted, it was captured and shared widely on social media on Wednesday, prompting both Haas and Mazepin to issue statements.
Mazepin moved to "apologise for my recent actions", while Haas confirmed it would be dealing with the matter internally, calling the Russian driver's actions "abhorrent".
Speaking on Thursday ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Haas F1 boss Steiner stressed the team was taking the matter incredibly seriously.
"We take it very seriously, as you saw with what we sent out [in the statement]," Steiner told Motorsport.com in an interview on Thursday.
"I just want to reinforce that, that we will deal with it.
"I'm not going into detail on what we'll do and how we'll do it, but we take it seriously, and we will work to sort this out, what happened. Nothing more to say."
It marked the latest incident involving Mazepin, whose final appearance in F2 last weekend in Bahrain saw him rack up penalties for two incidents, leaving him one point short of a race ban.
Mazepin was also banned for a European Formula 3 race in 2016 after punching Callum Ilott, who was left with cuts and swelling to his jaw.
Asked if Haas needed to talk to Mazepin about his general conduct, Steiner replied: "That is part of it, what we're going to speak to him about privately.
"I don't want to go public on how we are doing this. I just go back, I don't want to comment any more.
"I guess I ask people to respect that privacy, because we treat it seriously. But we will deal with it."
F1 and the FIA issued a joint statement on Thursday supporting Haas in condemning Mazepin's actions, but said the team would be handling the matter internally.
"The ethical principles and diverse and inclusive culture of our sport are of the utmost importance to the FIA and Formula 1," the statement added.
Mazepin is due to appear at next week's young driver test in Abu Dhabi as preparation for his F1 debut in 2021 with Haas, when he is due to partner Mick Schumacher.
Related video
Sainz: No explanation given for Abu Dhabi test snub
Leclerc: “I’ll choose my fights better” after Verstappen clash
Tandy: Night pace could fluctuate "dramatically" in Rolex 24
Porsche driver Nick Tandy is expecting the pace of GTP cars to change "quite dramatically" when they switch to the new cold-temperature Michelin tire in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Diriyah E-Prix: Evans snatches top spot from Ticktum in FE FP3
Jaguar's Mitch Evans snatched top spot at the end of the Diriyah E-Prix's third free practice session, knocking Dan Ticktum off the top of the Formula E timing board.
Diriyah FE pole leaves Buemi "sad" at how Nissan spell ended
Sebastien Buemi says his pole position pace at the Diriyah E-Prix is "just the beginning", but conceded it left him "sad" at how his time with Nissan ended.
Bird's Diriyah FE podium a "reward" for Jaguar team's hard work
Sam Bird says that his return to the podium at the Diriyah E-Prix was an "amazing reward" for Jaguar's work after the Mexico Formula E opener.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 'holiday' races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week, and though it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted more just why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action.
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.