{"id":291525,"date":"2025-04-27T09:30:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T09:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/f1s-sebastian-vettel-wont-race-in-russia-after-attack-on-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2025-04-27T09:30:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T09:30:21","slug":"f1s-sebastian-vettel-wont-race-in-russia-after-attack-on-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/27\/f1s-sebastian-vettel-wont-race-in-russia-after-attack-on-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"F1\u2019s Sebastian Vettel won\u2019t race in Russia after attack on Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sebastian Vettel said Thursday he will not race in the Russian Grand Prix following Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine, and the Haas F1 team removed the logos of its Russian sponsor from its cars.<\/p>\n

Formula One is in Barcelona this week for preseason testing and Vettel, the four time champion, said he woke up \u201cshocked\u201d by the news that President Vladimir Putin<\/a> had launched a military operation against neighboring Ukraine.<\/p>\n

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\u201cObviously if you look at the calendar we have a race scheduled in Russia. My own opinion is I should not go, I will not go,\u201d Vettel said. \u201cI think it\u2019s wrong to race in the country. I\u2019m sorry for the innocent people that are losing their lives, that are getting killed (for) stupid reasons and a very strange and mad leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Russian Grand Prix is scheduled for Sept. 25, and F1 said Thursday it is \u201cclosely watching the very fluid developments.\u201d F1 team principals planned to meet Thursday night to discuss the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wish is that somehow everything will stop very soon. We will have a meeting between us tonight, try to understand and how to cope and how to manage with it,\u201d Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said. \u201cA deep discussion (to) understand all the implications and the right choice for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the Russian invasion on Ukraine had immediate repercussions in the F1 paddock.<\/p>\n

Haas said late Thursday it will remove its sponsorship from Russian company Uralkali and run plain white cars on the final day of testing. Haas not only receives significant funding from Uralkali but also fields a car for Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.<\/p>\n

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The Haas cars are typically red, white and blue with a livery that resembles the Russian flag. Haas said Mazepin is still slated to drive Friday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cNikita Mazepin will drive as planned in the morning session with Mick Schumacher taking over in the afternoon. No further comment will be made at this time regarding team partner agreements,\u201c the team said.<\/p>\n

Mazepin and Haas team principal Gunther Steiner both canceled media appearances Thursday.<\/p>\n

Vettel, meanwhile, is head of the Grand Prix Drivers\u2019 Association, but he said racing in Russia later this year has yet to be broached.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s something we\u2019ll talk about,\u201d the Aston Martin driver said. \u201cBut personally I\u2019m shocked and sad to see what\u2019s going on, so we will see going forward but I think my decision is already made.\u201c<\/p>\n

World champion Max Verstappen agreed with Vettel but stopped short of saying he\u2019d pull out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think when a country is at war it\u2019s not correct to race there, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Verstappen said. \u201cBut it\u2019s not only what I think, it\u2019s the whole paddock (that is) going to decide what we are going to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso said: \u201cWe can make our own decisions for sure but eventually I think Formula One will do the best (thing).\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams CEO Jost Capito urged F1 to choose wisely.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a very sad situation and our thoughts are with the people who are involved,\u201d he said. \u201cWe think about the performance of our cars where other people are scared to lose their lives. We have to have this in mind and we\u2019re all aligned on this \u2026 (F1) will take a proper and a right decision for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n