Haas denies Uralkali’s compensation claim after tribunal ruling · F1 · RaceFans

Haas has denied a former sponsor’s claim it has been ordered to pay compensation over the early termination of a contract.

The Formula 1 team cancelled its title sponsorship deal with Uralkali at the beginning of their second season together in 2022. Haas also dropped driver Nikita Mazepin, the son of former Uralkali owner Dmitry Mazepin.

Uralkali issued a press release three days ago claiming a tribunal “found that Haas was in violation of the contract and obliged the team to pay compensation to Uralkali.”

However Haas denied both of Uralkali’s claims. It said the panel found they had “just cause” to break off their arrangement with the Russian company following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Haas quoted the panel’s ruling that it “could not be expected to continue the sponsorship agreement under such circumstances.”

Haas said the tribunal ordered it to retain the sponsorship fee prior to the cancellation of the contract and refund the remainder to Uralkali. The fertiliser manufacturer had demanded “immediate reimbursement of the amounts received by Haas.”

The team cancelled its contract with Uralkali as many other sports and teams severed their ties with Russian businesses in the wake of the invasion. Formula 1 removed the Russian Grand Prix from its calendar and the FIA barred Russian and Belarussian competitors from entering races under their national flags.

Haas said the tribunal deemed there was a risk “Haas could rapidly be the last non-Russian sport team continuing with a Russian name sponsor” had they not terminated their contract with Uralkali at the beginning of 2022.

Dmitry Mazepin, who met Russian president Vladimir Putin in the month before the invasion, was sanctioned by the European Union along with his son, though the driver succeeded in overturning that ruling in March.

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