Russian F1 Driver Nikita Mazepin has apologized for his "inappropriate behavior" after posting a video to Instagram in which a man believed to be him gropes a woman's chest in a car. The clip was shared on Mazepin's Instagram stories on Tuesday but has since been deleted. In the video, a hand is seen reaching over to a woman sitting in the backseat of the car and grabbing her breast. She pushes the hand away then extends her middle finger to the camera.
"I would like to apologize for my recent actions, both in terms of my own inappropriate behavior and the fact that it was posted onto social media," Mazepin, who is meant to be racing for Formula One team Haas next season, tweeted on Wednesday. "I am sorry for the offense I have rightly caused and to the embarrassment I have brought to Haas F1 Team. I have to hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula 1 driver and I acknowledge I have let myself and many people down. I promise I will learn from this."
Mazepin's apology garnered massive backlash.
"You‘re apologizing to the team but not to the girl? Obviously learnt nothing from the situation and isn’t genuinely sorry," one Twitter user replied to his post.
"This is a mistake that he needs to be held accountable. No "notes app apology" is enough," another wrote. "There are many girls following f1 and do you think about how they feel when they realise someone like this is driving? Or what kind of example he is setting?"
"So you're apologising to the team for embarrassing them, and to yourself for not holding yourself to a higher standard.....Wheres the apology to the poor girl? This is not an apology. This is nothing more than damage control," a third added.
Addressing the situation, Haas said in a statement that it was investigating the matter.
"Haas F1 Team does not condone the behavior of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media. Additionally, the very fact that the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team," the statement to Twitter read. "The matter is being dealt with internally and no further comment shall be made at this time."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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