Former Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat has claimed it is “unfair” to ban Russian athletes and teams from international sport as Nikita Mazepin’s future at Haas remains in the balance.

Russian driver Nikita Mazepin’s future in Formula 1 is still in doubt despite being allowed to continue racing in Formula 1 under a neutral flag.

The FIA has officially announced they will ignore IOC guidance in that no Russian or Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete in any international competitions until further notice.

But despite being permitted to drive under a neutral flag, Mazepin’s Haas future could still be in doubt.

His seat could be taken from him as the team’s future with main Russian sponsor Uralkali, owned by Nikita’s father Dmitry, continues to be unresolved.

The team are expected to make an update in the coming hours.

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert has predicted that 2022 could be the year that Lewis Hamilton wins his eighth F1 Drivers’ Championship.

Hamilton, currently level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles, was denied the outright record in a controversial ending to the season in Abu Dhabi last year but Herbert thinks Mercedes actually over-achieved in 2021 and were always planning to target 2022.

“I think Mercedes did so well last year because of the budget cap coming into effect, that’s really something that they didn’t spend so much [on] last year,” Herbert told Sky Sports News.

“I think their big upgrade was at Silverstone, Red Bull seemed to do one more or less [at] every race we went to.

“So maybe there’s going to be that, pushing that budget towards what they’re going to be using this year and I think Mercedes, I think [a world title] could happen again for Lewis.”

Ecclestone has in the past come to the defence of Putin, and even once said he would take a bullet for the president.

“As a person I found him very straightforward and honourable,” Ecclestone said. “He did exactly what he said he was going to do without any arguments.”

Red Bull advisor and head of their driver development programme Helmut Marko has admitted that the team tried to influence the FIA “massively” during the end-of-season controversy in Abu Dhabi late last year.

However, Marko pointed out that Mercedes were also guilty of trying to exert their influence as the dramatic battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton to decide the destination of the title played out.

Then-race director Michael Masi infamously made a call that ultimately favoured Verstappen and the Red Bull driver claimed the Drivers’ Championship in the most dramatic of fashions.

And Marko told RTL Deutschland that as he was making his decision, there was pressure being put on Masi over the race radio “admittedly from us and Mercedes massively”.

Nikita Mazepin and his potential banning from F1 has been the major story in the sport over the past couple of days and here’s a reminder on the latest as we know it.

The Russian driver’s future in Formula 1 is still in doubt despite being allowed to continue racing in Formula 1 under a neutral flag.

The FIA has officially announced they will ignore IOC guidance in that no Russian or Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete in any international competitions until further notice, with Haas driver Mazepin allowed to compete under a neutral flag.

But his seat could be taken from him as the team’s future with main Russian sponsor Uralkali, owned by Nikita’s father Dmitry, continues to be unresolved.

Haas are expected to release an update in the coming hours.

It’s fair to say that Drive to Survive - Netflix’s behind-the-scenes F1 documentary - has captured the imagination of Formula 1 fans and non-fans alike over the past couple of years.

Anticipation for season four is high and a teaser trailer has finally dropped - check it out below to whet your appetite.

Formula One pre-season testing is under way ahead of the 2022 season, with two sessions of three days taking place across Spain and Bahrain in February and March.

There was no TV coverage or fan attendance at the opening testing weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, where Lewis Hamilton went quickest overall in his first appearance since that controversial finale in Abu Dhabi last year.

But the second pre-season testing session in Bahrain ahead of the opening weekend of the season will have TV coverage and fans in attendance.

Here’s all you need to know about it.

Former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert believes 2022 could be the year that Lewis Hamilton wins his eighth F1 Drivers’ Championship.

Hamilton, currently level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles, was denied the outright record in a controversial ending to the season in Abu Dhabi last year but Herbert thinks Mercedes actually over-achieved in 2021 and were always planning to target 2022.

“I think Mercedes did so well last year because of the budget cap coming into effect, that’s really something that they didn’t spend so much [on] last year,” Herbert told Sky Sports News.

“I think their big upgrade was at Silverstone, Red Bull seemed to do one more or less [at] every race we went to.

“So maybe there’s going to be that, pushing that budget towards what they’re going to be using this year and I think Mercedes, I think [a world title] could happen again for Lewis.”

McLaren driver Lando Norris believes the pace Mercedes showed during the first leg of pre-seaosn testing means they’ll be “incredible” by the time the first race comes around.

Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were the pace-setters in Barcelona, with a 0.30s margin over Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, although with engine modes and fuel loads not released, it’s hard to read too much into individual teams’ times.

But Norris - who described McLaren as being in a “good but not amazing” place after Barcelona testing - has a theory based on the reigning eight-time constructors champions’ past performances.

“Mercedes never look that good in testing, only when they get to the first race,” said Norris.

“If they’re good in testing, that means they’re probably going to be incredible by the first race!

“Mercedes and Red Bull are right there with us and, if anything, I’d say a little bit ahead of the moment.”