Mazepin explains why he jumped out-lap queue in Q1
Haas Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin says his team instructed him to overtake his rivals during the dying moments of the first segment of qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Russian rookie, preparing for his maiden race outing in F1, was seen jumping the warm-up lap queue, overtaking three cars running slowly ahead of their final flying laps.
F1 drivers have a gentleman's agreement not to overtake each other during warm-up laps.
Mazepin, however, passed three rivals before spinning in front of them, ruining the laps of Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel, who were both knocked out in Q1 as a result.
The Haas driver defended his actions, however, saying he needed to drive faster in order to make it in time to complete his final run.
"I want to be very clear on that. I've also been already informed about this. I am team's driver," Mazepin said of the incident. "We have radio intercom and I'm instructed to do what I'm told.
"So I've crossed the start/finish line with two seconds left under my belt, otherwise, I would have got a red flag, and there was no time to wait.
"I was obviously in the queue like everyone else, but I have been told that if I don't go now the session is over. And what else do I have to do?
"I have to follow what the team tells me, because in the end that's my job. So I'm sorry if somebody is unhappy about it, but I follow my engineers' advice."
Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-21, spins in Q1
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Asked if other drivers had complained about the move, he said: "Negative."
Mazepin endured a difficult day, spinning twice during the session on his way to the slowest time of the day, over eight tenths behind teammate Mick Schumacher.
The rookie said "something changed" from pre-season testing, which he finished "in a happy place", to this weekend's grand prix.
"Obviously, ever since I started the weekend I wasn't in that happy place before," he added.
"I'm very confident that I will come back to the happy place as soon as possible. However, like you said, I'm not there yet. But the season is long and hopefully I'm on the way to the destination."
Related video
Previous article
How F1 launch season heightened anticipation for racing
Next article
McLaren never believed "hype" about its form
About this article
| Series | Formula 1 |
| Drivers | Nikita Mazepin |
| Teams | Haas F1 Team |
| Author | Pablo Elizalde |
The AlphaTauri improvements that mean Gasly’s form is no fluke
Pierre Gasly has driven superbly since demotion from Red Bull in 2019, but the team formerly known as Toro Rosso has come on strong too – building a car that can often challenge Ferrari and McLaren. Here Gasly reveals to ALEX KALINAUCKAS how AlphaTauri has given him the tools needed to rebuild his reputation
Why Bottas feels the time has come to be “more selfish”
We’ve seen five distinct versions of Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes as he’s tried to fulfil his own ambitions while being a consummate team player – two difficult, competing missions which have been challenging to reconcile. Speaking exclusively to Stuart Codling, Bottas explains his highs and lows… and why he still believes he can be world champion.
How long can Verstappen and Hamilton keep it clean?
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have been evenly matched so far in the 2021 Formula 1 title race. Neither has been afraid to get aggressive against each other on track, teeing up an enthralling contest as the year unwinds. But how long will their battle remain clean? Jonathan Noble ponders that exact point
How Brabham’s one-hit wonder was boxed into a corner
The Brabham BT46B raced once, won once, then vanished – or did it? STUART CODLING reveals the story of the car which was never actually banned…
The changes Barcelona needs to provide a modern-day F1 spectacle
Formula 1’s visits to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over recent years have been met with familiar criticisms despite tweaks here and there to the track to improve racing. With the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix largely going the same way, proper solutions need to be followed to achieve F1’s wider targets
Spanish Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Often described as Formula 1's laboratory, the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona gave the clearest demonstration yet of the pecking order in 2021. And it's the key discrepancies from that order which illuminate who is excelling, and who needs to hit the reset button.
How Red Bull's deja vu set Hamilton on the winning path in Spain
An aggressive first corner move from Max Verstappen appeared to have set the Red Bull driver on course for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix. But canny strategy from Mercedes - combined with the absence of Red Bull's number two from the lead group - allowed Lewis Hamilton to pull off a demoralising reversal
The Barcelona practice times that prove Red Bull has hidden pace
Lewis Hamilton led the way in Friday practice for the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, but there was one major encouraging sign for Red Bull. However, making good on that gain will require Max Verstappen to avoid repeating a mistake that left him well down the FP2 order...
