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What HAAS probably will do; Come out with a statement that says they have talked about the situation internally, come up with an 'ultimatium' (Because it gives the impression of being 'serious', without having to be) of "Don't do that again or you might find yourself without a seat". Some people will applaud this decision because of the ultimatum. However, I wouldn't be suprised when the next thing happens, HAAS find some sort of excuse to let him continue to drive. Whenever he has racked up enough negativity to which even HAAS can't turn from, they might have him sitting on the bench for a while and let their reserve driver drive for a race or two. Then, Mazepin will be back into the seat "having learned his lesson".
Essentially, HAAS will try to buy as much time as they possibly can. Only when it truly hits the boiling point, when every F1 news station is bringing it up, will they have a think about replacing him.
I struggle to see them ejecting him. Because it's never that easy. Albeit in this situation, it probably should be.
James Hunt was definitely a ladies' man to the max. (What else to conclude when he showed up in the paddock wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "Sex - The Breakfast Of Champions"). What he was not was abusive towards women. There were no reports of that in his lifetime.
We have to be realistic. Nothing will happen to Nikita Mazepin. His family is bringing tens of millions of dollars to the Haas team. So, after the usual pseudo-contrite apologies and much tut-tutting by the team, Mazepin will remain untouched.
For what it's worth(these days), the woman said Nikita and her are good friends and she wasn't assaulted, she also said she was the one that uploaded the video to his Instagram.
To me it seems sexual teasing between 2 consenting adults.
For what it's worth(these days), the woman said Nikita and her are good friends and she wasn't assaulted, she also said she was the one that uploaded the video to his Instagram.
To me it seems sexual teasing between 2 consenting adults.
It might have been just that...but a public figure like Mazepin ought to be aware of the potential impact of videos landing on public social media platforms. He's now in the spotlight. The days of adolescent dicking around by him and his friends are over. If that means he has to dump some hangers-on, so be it.
One of the mistakes that many young athletes make is hanging onto people who are only along for the ride, and are not really friends.
I wonder how James Hunt would fit in today's overly PC age.
It are the people who think they are James hunt, Mick Jagger, Lemmy but are not. Those are the misbehaving little sh@ts. A combination of entitlement and frustration. Dangerous narcissists. James Hunt would kick your teeth out if he saw you approach a woman like that.
I wonder how James Hunt would fit in today's overly PC age.
Hunt just wouldn't be same Hunt. If he was, he wouldn't have succeeded in today's F1. He started driving after turning 18. All present F1 drivers have been through at least 5 years of lower formulas. You learn early how to play to sponsors, play the game. They get groomed. That makes a "Hunt" type the person almost impossible. The closest you'll get in Kimi Rai.
I'm seriously struggling to see much of a problem ethically. The girl in the car was clearly just having some fun and good times were had.
Sure it might not be good from a Haas marketing/PR point of view. But from every other point of view, you get to end of the video and it's like "was that it??"