Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the future of Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin with Haas is in doubt due to the close links between his father and president Vladimir Putin.
Dmitry Mazepin is an oligarch with close links to Putin, having been pictured meeting with the Russian president in the past.
Dmitry is owner and chairman of Russian fertiliser company Uralchem, whose brand Uralkali's branding was dropped during the final day of F1 testing in Barcelona.
Once the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Haas removed their Uralkali branding from its livery - and it's understood the constructors fear sanctions on the sponsor could restrict their funding in the near future. That has subsequently placed Mazepin's future into doubt.
During the first pre-season test of the 2022 in Barcelona, Haas withdrew Mazepin from press duties.
Mazepin reportedly only got the call up to F1 because of the money his father’s company brought to the cash-strapped Haas team, and now team principal Gunther Steiner says that his future with the team must be figured out.
“[Mazepin’s future] needs to be resolved,” Steiner said. “There are governments involved and I have no power over them and we need to see how the situation develops in Ukraine.”
While Steiner insisted Haas’ immediate future, there are several names that could step in and replace Mazepin if he is ousted - with Pietro Fittipaldi leading the way.
Steiner confirmed the 25-year-old, who is entering his third season as Haas’ reserve driver, would be the first choice to step up.
“If Nikita couldn’t drive for one or another reason, the first call would go to Pietro,” Steiner told Speed City Broadcasting in an interview. “Obviously, he [has been] with us for a few years, and then we would see what we do next.
“But I mean Pietro is always around with us for a reason. The last years, we needed a reserve driver, having COVID around, so he is always around.
“He knows the team, he knows the car to jump in for one day to the other. There is nobody better than Pietro around at the moment.”
Oscar Piastri is another name that fans would be keen to see in F1. The Australian won F3 in 2020 and followed it up with the F2 title in 2021, firmly establishing himself as one of the best talents in motorsport.
The 20-year-old is part of the Alpine Academy and is currently the reserve driver for Alpine behind drivers Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. While it could prove difficult to pry Piastri away from the French team, he is a name Haas will monitor as he prepares to defend his F2 crown.
There are a number of other options. Haas could opt for experience in Nico Hulkenberg, as the German could form the perfect partnership alongside Mick Schumacher, while Antonio Giovinazzi would be another fine option given his recent time driving in F1 with Alfa Romeo.
British driver Callum Ilott would also be a name to watch, despite the 23-year-old penning a deal in IndyCar. After his runner-up F2 finish in 2020, Ilott spent time developing Alfa Romeo and Ferrari F1 cars, which gives him an edge in terms of aiding car development.
Ilott could be the perfect partner for Schumacher, who has little experience of developing an F1 car as Haas invested their time and resources into the 2022 car.
The record 23-race 2022 campaign begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.
