UK judge bars Mazepin from holding F1 talks

Nikita Mazepin’s quest to return to Formula 1 has been dealt a fresh blow by London’s High Court.

The ousted Haas driver and Russian has achieved some legal victories recently against western sanctions that ended his Formula 1 career at the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.

However, a British judge on Thursday dismissed the 24-year-old’s push to be allowed to enter the United Kingdom for potential talks with F1 teams at the forthcoming British GP in July.

That is despite the fact that his full court challenge against the British sanctions will take place later that month, which Mazepin’s lawyers argued is "too late" to enable talks about his return to F1 for 2024 to happen.

"Today’s interim decision on interim measures, although disappointing, does not affect the fate of our claim as a whole," Mazepin’s lawyers said in a statement published by Tass news agency.

"We expect that the claim will be heard on the merits in July, and we have every reason to hope for an honest and fair outcome of the case, which will allow Nikita to fully return to international motorsport," they added.