Nikita Mazepin took a swipe at Haas chief Guenther Steiner as he vowed he would never accept an invitation to work with the team again.
Mazepin spent one year with the team, and was due to continue racing into this season. But, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, he was axed with just a few weeks to go before the start of the season.
Drivers from Russia are allowed to continue competing under FIA rules. But they must do so under a neutral flag, or represent another country for which they are eligible to compete, and agree not to support the Russian invasion in public.
Mazepin said this week he would not be prepared to drop the Russian flag, even if it means he can never rejoin Formula 1. He does still have dreams of making it back into the sport, though – just not with Haas, as he cited the "behaviour" of team principal Steiner as the reason why.
"I don't want to go back there even if the rules are followed, because I don't want to be in Formula 1 at any cost," he told Russian news agency TASS , as quoted by Global Motorsport Media . "Human qualities are also important to me.
"So when a team boss behaves like that, then I think there are nine other teams with whom I can have a dialogue. I think one day I will be [in F1] as a businessman, but there is no hurry."
Meanwhile, Mazepin announced earlier in the summer he would be pursuing legal action against Haas over alleged unpaid salary.
Despite personally being under sanction by the European Union, the driver says it will not stop him from claiming the "debts" he alleges he is owed.
"The sanctions do not give anyone the right to circumvent the laws prescribed by contract law," Mazepin added. "I believe in truth and that the judge will do his job".
