Mazepin’s Mystery Paddock Visit Stirs Bahrain Buzz

The sight of Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin in the Formula 1 paddock during Bahrain testing sparked intrigue across the pitlane.

Mazepin, once a key figure through Uralkali’s brief title sponsorship of Haas in 2021-22, saw that deal—and his son Nikita’s drive—axed before the 2022 season amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Nikita’s barred from racing under the Russian flag, but no rule stops Dmitry or his younger son Stepan from paddock access with proper credentials.

What baffled teams and officials? No one—F1, the FIA, or any squad—could pinpoint who issued Mazepin’s pass. Alpine, Mercedes, and Haas all denied it was theirs.

A Mazepin representative told ESPN: “Dmitry was on a personal visit. He has remained friends with many people in the Formula 1 family and was happy to see them in Bahrain.” No word on the pass’s source.

The timing raised eyebrows, given Mazepin’s ties to Alpine. Renault’s team is shedding its engine program post-2025, shifting to a customer deal, fueling sale rumours.

Flavio Briatore’s back to steer Alpine’s future, and Ollie Oakes, a Mazepin ally, took the team boss reins last year.

Uralkali bankrolled Oakes’ Hitech outfit in F2 and F3, where Nikita climbed the ranks. Oakes told reporters: “Yes. I’ve said hello to him, I haven’t met him. Yes, he’s a friend of mine, yes I used to be together with him in Hitech. He was here catching up with another friend of his. It’s nice to see him. I’m not going to go into that, the world’s a crazy place.”

Mazepin’s deep pockets—he could fund a team in F1’s booming market—add heat. Alpine’s valuation hit $1.5 billion last year, per Sportico, up from $900 million in 2023.

For now, Mazepin’s visit remains a paddock riddle…