Hass F1 is excusing Nikita Mazepin’s much referenced and deplorable behavior as a lesson to be learned. Mazepin is also saying he will learn his lesson. But To what end? No one man is bigger than the team, But when the father of the deplorable driver is worth $7.1 billion then the driver is bigger than the team and statistically bigger than Formula One itself in terms of net worth. Nikita Mazepin admits he must “hold myself to a higher standard” and he will “learn from this”. He will do neither and will continue to torpedo his so-called higher standard because he doesn’t know any better.

Nikita Mazepin is a product of the self-entitled elite and clearly proves money does not buy you a higher standard of being nor common sense. In legal terms, Hass could sack Mazepin. He has not yet fully started his term of employment with the Formula team and has already brought Hass F1 and its sponsors into disrepute.

One could argue that Hass F1 is equally deplorable because they have employed a PR strategy by repeating the term, “learn from this”. Are we meant to pity Mazepin, are we to assume Mazepin is the victim?

Hass F1 and Mazepin clearly want to paint themselves as immature, requiring guidance and understanding. Clearly, the PR strategy is looking for sympathy for the perpetrator. This out of touch-with-reality PR spin assumes people are too stupid to know any better. But no wealth or any amount of PR spin can buy common sense. Hass F1 and its sponsors are giving the signal that it condones Mazepin, despite saying the opposite.