Nikita Mazepin has announced his first international racing appearance since he was dumped from the Formula 1 grid.
Mazepin spent just a season racing in the sport with Haas – a year in which they were entirely uncompetitive. He and the team failed to score a single point, and the Russian never got the chance to change that despite initially being given a second season.
Just a few weeks before the start of the 2022 campaign, the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted Haas' decision to release Mazepin. Main sponsor Uralkali, owned by his oligarch father Dmitry who has ties to Vladimir Putin, was also axed.
Both father and son were subsequently sanctioned by the European Union over their links to Putin. That, plus the fact he would have had to race under a neutral flag – something he previously said he wasn't prepared to do – meant Mazepin has been out of the international racing scene.
But that is set to change next month. The Russian has signed up to compete in the Asian Le Mans Series, made up of four races due to take place across two weekends in February.
He will be one of three drivers representing the UK-based 99 Racing, along with former McLaren junior Ben Barnicoat and Spanish racer Felix Porteiro. They will be driving an ORECA 07 LMP2 prototype in the series, which includes the 4hrs of Dubai and 4hrs of Abu Dhabi.
It will be the first time Mazepin has taken part in competitive sportscar racing. "I am delighted to be making my return to racing in the Asian Le Mans Series," he said. "Together with my teammates at 99 Racing, I'm hoping to have a great experience competing in the sport I love."
Having had his racing options limited, Mazepin has been forced to stay in Russia to compete and took part in the Silk Rally last year. He also pursued other interest outside of motorsport, including his party planning firm The Ninety Nine Events.
A social media post last year showed him hosting lavish events and operating DJ decks. "This year I had to say goodbye to Formula 1 for a while, but in order to open up to something different, it is important to come to terms with setbacks and trouble," he wrote in the caption.
