Russian racing driver Nikita Mazepin has begun High Court action against Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to get British sanctions against him lifted.
Mazepin and his father Dmitry were sanctioned by the UK, Canada and European Union in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Billionaire businessman Dmitry Mazepin was deemed a close associate of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Mazepin was also sacked by Formula 1 team Haas as a result of the invasion.
Neither Mazepin nor his father were at the hearing.
His lawyer Rachel Scott said Mazepin wanted his challenge heard as a matter of “urgency” because of the need hold talks with prospective race teams for the 2024 season.
Mazepin and his father are subject to an assets freeze and travel ban as part of the sanctions, though lawyers representing the Foreign Office argued that Mazepin could still negotiate with Formula One teams with the sanctions in place.
Mazepin is also challenging EU and Canadian sanctions as part of his attempt to return to Formula One.
In September 2022, Mazepin had requested “revocation of his designation” – a lifting of the sanctions – but UK government ministers had decided to “take no action”.
In a witness statement, he said that “even if – or while – the Canadian sanctions remain in place, there is at least a prospect of me being able to enter into negotiations to return to Formula One if sanctions are lifted in both the EU and UK”.
Following the invasion, Haas also terminated the contract of their title sponsor, the Russian chemicals company Uralkali. Mazepin owed his seat to sponsorship funding from Uralkali, which is part-owned by his father through his company Uralchem.
A judge is due to oversee a further hearing in London in June.