F1 News: Dutch authorities seize Haas’ F1 cars at Zandvoort (3rd Update)

The Haas trucks are finally on the move to Monza after waiting overnight in the Netherlands.

Former title sponsor Uralkali has confirmed receipt of last Friday’s payment that was due back to it, so the Haas trucks are on the road to Italy.

(GMM) Although the Haas team has transferred its outstanding debt to disgruntled former sponsor Uralkali, the F1 outfit has barred from leaving the Zandvoort circuit on Sunday night.

Sky Italia claimed on Sunday that the approximately 10 million euro debt to the Russians, accrued when Haas axed the deals with Uralkali and Nikita Mazepin early in 2022, has actually been paid by the team.

“Everything is now settled,” team owner Gene Haas, who is reportedly also being prevented from leaving the Netherlands, told Bild newspaper.

The money was apparently processed via an account in the Middle East on Friday – but Uralkali is yet to receive it. Therefore, Haas’ F1 cars and all team equipment are still officially in the custody of Uralkali’s Dutch legal representatives and authorities.

“I was informed that our trucks would not be leaving on Sunday evening,” a spokesman for the small American team confirmed.

“We have to wait for the confirmation of receipt of the payment, which we made on Friday. Once acknowledged, they will be on their way to Italy on Monday.”

A spokeswoman for Uralkali also told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper: “There is finally progress in this case, but the money has not yet arrived.

“That may be because the banks are closed on the weekend. As soon as the money is in our account, Haas is free to leave.”

Haas has no one to blame but themselves – they had no intention of complying with the original court order, and now that their cars have been seized, they have no choice but to pay.

It would be poetic justice if the money gets held up for a week because of the sanctions the USA has on Russian Companies and the Haas cars stay impounded at Zandvoort and do not arrive in time for next weekend’s Italian GP at Monza.

(GMM) Haas has finally ended a long-running dispute with disgruntled former Nikita Mazepin sponsor Uralkali.

At Zandvoort on Friday, legal officers representing the fertilizer company, aided by Dutch police, formally confiscated Haas’ F1 cars and all major equipment.

Haas was given permission to use the equipment for the remainder of the Dutch GP weekend, but the equipment would not be allowed to leave the Netherlands until about 10 million euros in total is repaid to Uralkali.

As of early Saturday, Haas’ participation in next weekend’s Italian GP was still in doubt.

“This process is very complicated,” said team boss Ayao Komatsu. “That’s why it’s taking longer than expected. But our lawyers are on it,” he told Sky Italia.

“We are totally focused on resolving this issue as quickly as possible, so everything should be fine. I don’t see any problem,” the Japanese added, when asked about the prospect of Haas not being able to travel to Monza.

According to Sky Italia and other authoritative sources, the debt has now been repaid in full.

“The payment has arrived,” the broadcaster claimed, “Haas has paid its former sponsor the money, and the team will participate as usual in the Italian GP.”

(GMM) The Haas team cannot currently leave the Netherlands once the checkered flag waves at Zandvoort late on Sunday.

Operating on legal authority, Dutch police and bailiffs entered the Formula 1 team’s garages at the Dutch GP venue and formally seized the race cars, motorhome, trucks and all other equipment.

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Haas can continue to use the equipment throughout the weekend, but without paying back about $10 million to disgruntled former Russian sponsor Uralkali, the team is barred from departing the country.

“They must inform us where all the equipment is,” said Dutch lawyer Jurjen de Korte, representing Nikita Mazepin’s former sponsor. “If they do not comply, they are committing a criminal offense.”

Haas was ordered to pay back sponsorship money in a Swiss arbitration case in June, relating to the team’s decision to axe its deals with Uralkali and Mazepin at the outbreak of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“They had time to comply,” the lawyer added, “but they were playing hide-and-seek. The ball is in their court, they have to find a solution.”

Haas said in a statement that it “intends” to repay the money, but is struggling to comply with complex anti-Russian sanctions. “We will continue to work with Uralkali in the coming days to finally resolve this matter,” said the Gene Haas-owned team.

Team boss Ayao Komatsu said on Friday: “We’re not disputing it whatsoever, but it’s a complicated process to transfer the funds across.”

If Haas cannot quickly find a solution, the team could sit out next weekend’s Italian GP – a breach of its contracts with Formula 1.

Uralkali sounded totally unsympathetic in its own press statement.

“This is the expected consequence of Haas’ refusal to obey the ruling of arbitrage awarding payment and a race car to Uralkali,” the Russian fertilizer company insisted.

“There are not now and never have been any sanctions issues preventing Haas from fulfilling its obligations. Nevertheless, they have gone unfulfilled,” Uralkali added.

“We are delighted to hear that, following last night’s visit from Dutch authorities, Haas is finally paying attention to the arbitral ruling.”