There are legal tensions surrounding the Haas F1 team this race weekend as the outfit finds itself at risk of having its assets seized. Team principal Ayao Komatsu, during a press conference at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, has reacted to this news.
The controversy stems from an outstanding $9 million payment to Uralkali, the team’s former title sponsor, with Dutch authorities already taking an inventory of Haas’s equipment amidst the legal scuffle and blocking them from moving their equipment and cars out of the country.
At the heart of the dispute is a sponsorship deal gone awry. Haas had inked a sponsorship agreement with Uralkali for the 2022 Formula 1 season.
However, the partnership was abruptly terminated when Haas decided to cut ties with the Russian chemical company following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a move that also led to the dismissal of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.