Nikita Mazepin test omission "nothing to do" with social media post - Mercedes

Mercedes

Mazepin test omission "nothing to do" with social media post - Mercedes

Team will run Formula E drivers Vandoorne and De Vries in young driver test

Sam Hall

Friday 11 December 2020 20:44 Updated: 20:48

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has confirmed Nikita Mazepin's behaviour on social media had "nothing to do" with the team's decision not to run the Russian in the post-season young driver test.

Mercedes, which has conducted a test programme with Mazepin this year, has announced it will run Formula E factory drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries in the young driver test at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit on Tuesday.

Mazepin is set to join Haas in 2021 but his relationship with the team has got off to a rocky start after the team described a video posted on the Russian's Instagram account that shows him groping a woman's chest as "abhorrent".

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It has been confirmed to GPFans that Mercedes has concluded its relationship with the Russian although the team would not confirm whether this was as a result of his inappropriate behaviour in the social media post.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Mercedes boss Wolff said: "We had an extensive testing programme with him across the year with a two-year-old car.

"But for the young driver test we decided on the line-up over the last few days and really providing the opportunity to Stoffel and Nyck is good.

"They are our works drivers in Formula E, they have done a super-solid job and also, with Stoffel not being in the car last week, it just made sense to put those two in the car."

Wolff's comment referred to the fact George Russell was chosen as substitute for Lewis Hamilton for the Sakhir Grand Prix ahead of reserve Vandoorne.

Asked if the decision not to run Mazepin was as a direct result of the Russian's behaviour, Wolff clarified: "No. It has nothing to do with his actions. The most important thing was to have some learning from the test."