F1 slams door in new Russian hopeful’s face

Formula 1 has slammed the door in the face of another Russian driver.

At the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Haas ousted Nikita Mazepin and his sponsor Uralkali - as F1 axed the Russian GP and imposed restrictions on other FIA-sanctioned Russian drivers.

And now, new world karting champion Kirill Kutskov, who has been racing under the flag of Kyrgyzstan, has discovered that Formula 1 teams are not interested in even talking to him.

"At the FIA gala ceremony we spoke with Christian Horner," said 15-year-old Kirill’s father, Ilya.

"When I started to introduce my son, he replied ’Yes, I know Kirill, we follow all the races’. He said ’As soon as you have another passport, call us and we’ll bring you to Red Bull.

"Maybe he was joking, maybe not - who knows?"

The karting team Kutskov won the 2023 world championship with - KPK - was partly funded by Fernando Alonso and his karting chassis organisation.

"He co-financed the team," father Ilya Kutskov continued, "and because of that they were able to hire Kirill for a season and win the world championship. A successful investment," he told the Russian portal Championat.

"But they then told us ’Guys, the situation now is that we can’t take you under our wing anymore. Please forgive us. He’s a driver who deserves it, but it’s all about the passport and the politics’.

"McLaren said the same thing, but Williams didn’t even bother talking to us," he revealed.