Haas cars and equipment stuck in Zandvoort amid Uralkali row
Haas is currently unable to take its cars and equipment away from the Dutch Grand Prix as former sponsor Uralkali awaits receipt of an overdue refund payment believed to total $9million, with the Russian firm having gone through court to seize the F1 team’s assets.
Cars and equipment were evaluated with bailiffs and police in the pitlane at Zandvoort on Thursday evening after Uralkali claimed last month that Haas had missed a July deadline for the refund of a cancelled sponsorship agreement.
Following a Swiss arbitration court hearing in June, it was ruled that Haas should refund Uralkali part of its sponsorship payment made for 2022, prior to its title deal being cancelled in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a Formula 1 car also promised to the company.
While the court stated that Haas was within its rights to terminate the deal, it also said that the American-owned squad could only keep a portion of the $13million sponsorship balance paid for the campaign.
Haas was therefore ordered to give back the remainder of the sponsorship payment that went beyond 4 March 2022, when the deal was cancelled.
Sources told Motorsport.com that Uralkali believed no effort had been made to issue the refund until it sought to seize Haas’ assets in Zandvoort.
Haas insists the payment was made on Friday evening, with owner Gene Haas saying on Sunday afternoon that “everything is now sorted”.
However, with the funds being sent on Friday, it is understood they had not been deposited into an account in the Middle East due to weekend delays.
Sparks kick up from Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-21
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
While it was agreed that Haas’s participation in the Dutch Grand Prix could proceed as normal, the team’s equipment is unable to depart the Netherlands, with the court order remaining in place.
It is understood the payment was sent via the Middle East because Haas had initially said it had to be sure that any transaction fully complied with sanctions that have been imposed on various Russian companies.
A statement on Friday said: “Haas fully intends to pay to Uralkali all amounts due pursuant to the arbitration award, and there is no dispute over the amounts owed.
“Haas has been working with its lawyers to ensure payment will comply with all relevant US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions and regulations.
“We will continue working with Uralkali in the coming days to resolve this matter definitively.”
Uralkali did not accept the issue of sanctions as a reason for the delay in payment, claiming on Sunday that the funds had still not been received and that they did not expect any notification of a deposit due to it being the weekend.
Is it also understood Uralkali is waiting on a logistics plan for how and when the F1 car it has been promised will also be delivered.
After Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished 11th and 18th, respectively, Haas’ trucks have been unable to leave for Monza, with the understanding the team will be free to proceed to Italy once confirmation of the payment comes on Monday.
