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The Haas Formula 1 team can now send its equipment to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, having obtained clearance to depart the Netherlands after resolving its legal dispute with former sponsor Uralkali.
Haas ran the risk of having its F1 cars seized by Dutch authorities and criminal charges being brought against the team if it tried to leave the country without confirmation of a multi-million dollar repayment to the Russian fertiliser company that sponsored Nikita Mazepin’s brief F1 career.
In a statement released on Monday, Uralkali confirmed it had received payment “in full” (including interest and fees) and “collected the race car owed to us under the terms of the sponsorship agreement”.
Uralkali said it has it had “notified Dutch authorities they may release Haas’ assets from arrest as an interim measure, and Haas is free to take them out of the Netherlands”.
A Haas spokesperson also confirmed the team’s trucks have been given clearance to depart the Netherlands and “make their way to Italy immediately” for next weekend's race at Monza.
Uralkali took legal action against Haas in the Netherlands after failing to receive a repayment of money paid to the team before its title sponsorship was abruptly terminated by Haas in early 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In June, a Swiss arbitral tribunal ordered Haas to refund Uralkali a significant amount of money that had already been paid when Haas cancelled the deal and dropped Mazepin on the eve of the 2022 season.
Haas was also ordered to deliver Uralkali a car from the 2021 season.
Uralkali and its legal representatives did not seek to disrupt Haas's participation at Zandvoort, where its cars competed and finished 11th and 18th, but police and bailiffs were present at the track on Thursday evening to assess the value of the goods on-site.
Haas was also instructed that it would face serious consequences if it left the country without repaying what was owed - which Haas accepted, and pledged to resolve as soon as it could.
The Race understands Haas initiated a payment on Friday, likely from its UK-based F1 company to a third-party account outside of Russia.
