Robert Shwartzman no longer represents Russia in motorsport, according to former Haas Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin.
Mazepin, ousted from Haas and basically banned from F1 in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia conflict alongside his father Dmitry's Uralkali sponsorship, commented on his fellow Russian driver's decision to change his racing license.
Shwartzman, 25, who like Mazepin was born in 1999, leveraged his Israeli birthplace to switch from a Russian license to an Israeli one, allowing him to continue his racing career amid international sanctions. He maintained his role as a Ferrari test and reserve driver and recently signed to race in the US-based Indycar series for Prema in 2025.
Mazepin made his feelings clear in an interview with autosport.com.ru. "Unfortunately, I cannot call Shwartzman our driver, because he made his choice and now competes for another country," he said. "If you asked me about Israeli drivers, then I would talk about him. As for Russian drivers, the number of outstanding Russians is currently at its peak."
Despite Shwartzman's departure from Russian representation, Mazepin is confident about the potential of Russian drivers on the global stage—if only the political environment allowed them to compete freely.
"Are our athletes ready to be the best in the world motorsport arena?" Mazepin asked rhetorically. "Definitely yes. Is the world community ready for that, and will political regulators allow them to do this? In my opinion, today they are not. Unfortunately," he concluded.
