Sanctions against an ex-Formula One driver relating to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have been dropped.
Nikita Mazepin, the son of key Vladimir Putin ally Dmitry Mazepin, was dumped by Haas ahead of the 2022 season following the onset of the war.
However, on Wednesday the General Court of the European Union removed the sanctions against the 25-year-old driver due to his family connection being “not sufficient” to keep him on a list of restricted individuals.
“The family connection with his father, Russian businessperson Dmitry Mazepin, is not sufficient for him to be regarded as being linked to his father by common interests and, therefore, for him to be maintained on those lists,” read a statement from EU judges.
The EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia as it targeted the energy sector, banks, the world's biggest diamond mining company, businesses and markets, and made Russian officials subject to asset freezes and travel bans.
Fertiliser tycoon Dmitry Mazepin, 55, lost his appeal in November.
Nikita Mazepin failed to score a point during his lone season in F1, which saw his father’s company Uralkali sponsor the team.
Ahead of the 2022 campaign, he drew criticism for appearing to shrug off his country’s invasion of Ukraine. After initially being told could race under a neutral flag, Mazepin was banned from taking part in the British Grand Prix and sanctioned by the EU as Haas replaced him with Danish driver Kevin Magnussen.
Most recently, he has appeared in the Asian Le Mans Series.
