Mercedes explains Mazepin's absence from F1 test line-up
Toto Wolff says that Nikita Mazepin's omission from Mercedes' Abu Dhabi Formula 1 test line-up has "nothing to do with his actions" this week.
Mazepin has been undertaking an extensive private testing programme with Mercedes for the past two years, helping his preparations to step up to F1.
The Russian driver secured an F1 superlicence by finishing fifth in this year's F2 championship, and will graduate with Haas next year.
But Haas is currently addressing an incident involving Mazepin after a video of him groping a woman's chest was uploaded to his Instagram account earlier this week.
Haas called the incident "abhorrent", with team principal Gunther Steiner telling Motorsport.com on Thursday that it was taking the matter "very seriously".
Mazepin issued a public apology and said he had to "hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula 1 driver".
It was thought that Mazepin would form part of Mercedes' line-up for the test day in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, which was originally meant to be for young drivers before being expanded to anyone who did not race full-time through 2020.
Mercedes announced on Friday that its Formula E drivers, Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries, would be taking part in the test.
Mercedes team principal Wolff explained the decision to draft in the Formula E drivers for the test, adding that Vandoorne's chance made sense after he missed out on replacing Lewis Hamilton in Sakhir last week.
"We had an extensive testing programme with [Mazepin] throughout the year with a two-year-old car," Wolff said on Sky Sports F1.
"But for the young driver test, we decided on the line-up over the last few days, and providing the opportunity to Stoffel and Nyck is good.
"They're our works driver in Formula E, they've done a super solid job. And also with Stoffel not being in the car last week, it just made sense to put the two in a car."
Asked if the decision not to test with Mazepin had anything to do with his actions away from the track, Wolf replied: "No, it's nothing to do with his actions.
"The most important thing was to have some learning from the test."
Mazepin has appeared once before for Mercedes in an official F1 test, taking part in the post-Spanish Grand Prix test in 2019.
Next Tuesday's running at the Yas Marina Circuit will mark a maiden F1 test for de Vries, who won the F2 title last year, and the first F1 run-out for Vandoorne since his last race start for McLaren in 2018.
Related video
Abu Dhabi GP: Bottas tops FP2 from Hamilton
Hamilton: Abu Dhabi return like "first day back to school"
Garcia, Eckes land 2023 NASCAR Truck rides with MHR
McAnally Hilgemann Racing will field a pair of fulltime entries in the NASCAR Truck Series next season with drivers Christian Eckes and Jake Garcia.
IndyCar to run hybrid units with 2.2s, not 2.4s, in 2024
The next-gen IndyCar engine formula, set for introduction in 2024, will now couple hybrid units with 2.2-liter engines rather than increasing capacity to 2.4 liters.
Maserati unveils challenger for its debut Formula E campaign
The Maserati MSG squad has unveiled the livery of its Tipo Folgore car it will race for the first time in Formula E next season.
F1 world champion Villeneuve in frame for Vanwall WEC seat
Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve is in the running for a seat with the Vanwall Le Mans Hypercar squad in next year’s World Endurance Championship.
How Tyrrell’s post-Stewart era descended into a fight to survive
Glory days for Tyrrell became increasingly infrequent after Jackie Stewart’s retirement. But in the latest instalment of his history of the team for Autosport's sister title GP Racing, MAURICE HAMILTON recalls how Ken Tyrrell’s plucky and defiantly small team stayed bold enough to innovate – springing a surprise with F1’s first six-wheeled car
How departing F1 boss Brawn views F1’s new rules - and the future
Multiple-title-winning designer and team boss Ross Brawn is finally leaving Formula 1 after nearly 50 years in motorsport. But he still has plenty of insights on what’s working and what comes next, as he revealed to Motorsport.com in a far-reaching exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi.
The key F1 management call Ferrari must make to avoid more defeat
OPINION: Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari will naturally bring a range of changes across the Formula 1 team. But how the changes shape up and the impact they could have is set to be dictated by a key direction Ferrari’s top dogs will need to pick
The difference between Mercedes’ stumble and the fall of F1 giants
OPINION: Mercedes endured its worst season of the hybrid Formula 1 era, but was mercifully spared its first winless campaign in over a decade late on. It has owned up to the mistakes it made which led to its troubled W13. And while its task to return to title-challenging contention is not small, its 2022 season seems more like a blip than the beginning of a downward spiral.
The physical focus bringing out the best from Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon likes to point out he’s the first driver since Lewis Hamilton to emerge from a spell as Fernando Alonso’s teammate with a superior overall points record. While some may disagree, as LUKE SMITH discovered, the 2021 Hungarian GP winner reckons it’s not just luck which has made him France’s pre-eminent Formula 1 driver of the moment…
How Red Bull's dynamic leader Mateschitz shaped its F1 philosophy
The death of Dietrich Mateschitz last month has not only deprived Red Bull of its visionary founder, it has shorn Formula 1 of one of its most influential benefactors. Mateschitz himself was famously media-shy, preferring to let the brand do the talking on his behalf. And, while it’s now normal to speak of Red Bull F1 titles and champions made, Mateschitz never assumed it would be easy or even possible – as ANTHONY ROWLINSON discovered during this previously unpublished interview from 2006…
Can Mercedes break Formula 1's cycle of doom?
OPINION: Teams that have dominated for long periods throughout Formula 1's history often take years to get back to the top of the tree once they've slipped down. But it remains to be seen whether the same will happen to Mercedes after a challenging 2022 season
What hurt Perez most in his ill-fated fight for second in Abu Dhabi
Arguably the favourite in the battle to finish second-best in 2022's Formula 1 standings, Sergio Perez's two-stop strategy at Abu Dhabi couldn't take him ahead of Charles Leclerc when the music stopped - and several key factors ultimately precluded him from the much-coveted runner-up spot.