Haas F1 team could MISS race as Uralkali make court bid to seize cars

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F1 team could MISS race over court bid to seize cars

Yet more off-track drama in 2024...

Rhys Thomas

Saturday 24 August 2024 08:27 Updated: 11:26

One Formula 1 team's participation at a race is under threat after a bid was made in Dutch courts to seize its assets, including cars and equipment.

The bid marks an escalation in the latest stage of disputes between the team and a former title sponsor.

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Uralkali first partnered with Haas in 2021, which coincided with the arrival of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Haas cut ties with both Uralkali and Mazepin.

However, that was not the end of the Haas-Uralkali story, which continues to plague the American team in the background of their 2024 season.

Uralkali sponsored Haas for the 2021 season and for 2022 testing

Kevin Magnussen returned to the team when Uralkali and Nikita Mazepin were dropped

Will Haas miss the Italian Grand Prix due to the Uralkali situation?

Though a Swiss arbitration court accepted that Haas legitimately ended their deal with Uralkali, it ruled that Haas owed the potash fertiliser producer a partial refund of their 2022 payment.

In July, the company said that Haas had missed the deadline to make this payment, and has now taken further action in a bid to recoup the money.

Autosport report that Uralkali received a provisional ruling in its favour having asked for Haas’s assets at the Dutch Grand Prix to be seized.

Consequently, Haas had their assets - cars and equipment included - evaluated by bailiffs and police at the Zandvoort circuit on Thursday.

Though the American team will be able to compete in the Netherlands, Autosport say it understands that Haas has been informed it 'will not be allowed to remove its cars and equipment from the country after the race until the outstanding payment has been made'.

With the Italian Grand Prix scheduled just a week after the race at Zandvoort, if Haas are unable to move out of the Netherlands in the days after the race, their participation at Monza will be under threat.

What have Haas and Uralkali said?

The scenario where Haas are prevented from competing at forthcoming races appears to be an unlikely scenario, and Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu confirmed the team were working on the situation with urgency.

"After the arbitration ruling was made, we accepted it, not disputing it whatsoever," he said in a press conference at the Dutch Grand Prix.

"It’s a complicated process to transfer the funds across and it’s been taking longer than I would like. We are pretty focused on making [the funds transfer] across as soon as possible."

Komatsu also told Sky Sports that he did not see any issues and that the team 'should be fine' for future races.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu explained Haas are planning to transfer the funds soon

This largely echoed Haas' recent statement on the matter, which said: "Haas fully intends to pay to Uralkali all amounts due pursuant to the arbitration award, and there is no dispute over the amounts owed.

"Haas has been working with its lawyers to ensure payment will comply with all relevant US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions and regulations.

"We will continue working with Uralkali in the coming days to resolve this matter definitively."

Uralkali's own statement said: "This is the expected consequence of Haas’ refusal to obey the ruling of arbitrage awarding payment and a race car to Uralkali.

"There are not now and never have been any sanctions issues preventing Haas from fulfilling its obligations. Nevertheless, they have gone unfulfilled.

"We are delighted to hear that, following last night’s visit from Dutch authorities, Haas is finally paying attention to the arbitral ruling.

"Uralkali wants nothing more than to receive what it was awarded during a fair judicial process and hopes that Haas will move quickly to rectify the situation so that all sides can move on," the company added.

Haas Italian Grand Prix Kevin Magnussen Nikita Mazepin