The FIA has made the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian drivers compete in events, on the condition that they use the FIA flag, rather than their countrIes’s flags. This is coming after rumours that the FIA was considering suspending Haas driver Nikita Mazepin, a Russian, over the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Various sports have taken actions against Russia, including Formula 1, who cancelled this year’s Russian Grand Prix. It was thought that they would take it a step further by banning Russian drivers, but the FIA has said that they would be allowed but would drive as neutrals. The International Olympic Committee had called for the ban of all Russian and Belarusian athletes, but FIA decided to allow them race as neutral.

The FIA made this known in a statement they released on Tuesday: “Russian/Belarusian drivers, individual competitors, and officials to participate in international/zone competitions only in their neutral capacity and under the ‘FIA flag’, subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA’s principles of peace and political neutrality.”

Last week, Haas cut ties with Uralkali, a Russian company, removing its branding from their cars. The founder of Uralkali is Dmitry Mazepin, father of Nikita, and a close friend of President Vladimir Putin. This has put the driver in a particularly tight position over the past few days. Taking to his social media page, he said, “ To my fans and followers – it’s a difficult time, and I am not in control over a lot of what is being said and done. I’m choosing to focus on what I CAN control by working hard and doing my best for my HAAS. My deepest thanks for your understanding and support.”

The Formula 1 season would still hold as planned, with the seasoning-opening race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, expected to hold on March 20.

Written by: Leon Osamor