Russian motor racing star Nikita Mazepin’s social media video nasty was witless and irresponsible, but applying inflated rhetoric and declaring him a sexual predator merely diminishes incidents of serious abuse.
Mazepin’s Formula One career will be over before it’s even got off the starting grid, should the baying mobs on social media get their way.
Signed to drive for American team Haas next season, the 21-year-old is fending off brickbats after a video posted to his Instagram account featured him briefly grabbing at the chest of a female friend who was sitting behind him in the back of a moving car.
This is Nikita Mazepin…. pic.twitter.com/pHqEXtRFOX
A Change.org petition has already sprung up to call on motor racing’s governing bodies to deprive the driver of his seat, and rapidly surpassed its intial target of 25,000 signatures.
“He has a history of alleged sexually predatory behavior against women, has been shown to be aggressive on the track, and has now sexually assaulted an unknown woman and uploaded it to his social media for everyone to see,” the petition’s initiators wrote.
That is very much in keeping with tone of conversation that has spilled forth since the promptly-deleted clip emerged, which would lead anyone to believe that Mazepin was guilty of the most heinous of crimes.
Condemning their newly-signed star, Haas labelled the clip “abhorrent” while other outraged observers branded the young driver “a pig” and “disgusting” – among a multitude of similar slurs.
TEAM STATEMENT: Haas F1 Team does not condone the behavior of Nikita Mazepin in the video recently posted on his social media. Additionally, the very fact that the video was posted on social media is also abhorrent to Haas F1 Team. (1/2)
Just go. U don’t deserve the seat. Someone like you should never be in f1. I experienced assault and you just represent all the things I went through. How disgusting can a person be? #WeSayNoToMazepin
It’s so hypocritical that @F1 talk about “We Race As One” except the minute money is involved, it’s more or less: We Race For Money. If @fia say nothing or do nothing on the matter of Nikita Mazepin, you are denying sexual assault survivors their justice. #WeSayNoToMazepin
Mazepin duly apologized, calling his behavior “inappropriate” and expressing his regret that the offending clip was shared on social media.
Regardless of whether the footage was shared online or not, it was idiotic and ill-conceived, even if later explanations from the female party described it as a “jokey” interaction between friends.
But in describing his actions as “inappropriate”, Mazepin has perhaps found a far more fitting adjective than those used by most of the mob berating him.
This being 2020 – when unbridled cancel culture continues to thrive – it’s perhaps more important than ever to keep things in some kind of perspective.
The clip does not make Mazepin the “sex predator” so many people have suggested him to be. Overblown adjectives slung at the racer such as “abhorrent” serve no purpose except to devalue and trivialize actual incidents of sexual crime by suggesting that Mazepin’s actions are somehow on the same level.
If we apply such words with reckless abandon, where do we go from here when describing rapists and grevious cases of sexual abuse?
Ironically, in an age of welcome developments when women’s voices are increasingly heard in sexual assault cases, in this instance the words of the woman reportedly seen in the clip – model Andrea D’Ival – have been summarily dismissed.
She has posted on Instagram that she herself had shared the clip “as a silly way of joking between us.”
“I can give you my word he’s a really good person and he would never do anything to hurt or humiliate me,” the young model added.
That lack of offence or victim status just doesn’t sit well with some people, though. There have been suggestions that D’Ival has been paid off to keep quiet, or even that her message was a somehow a coded cry for help.
If the words don’t fit the narrative of Mazepin being a dangerous sexual reprobate, then just ignore them.
Mazepin’s victim & Haas may be easily bought off by daddy’s money to forget what the piece of shit does, but F1 fans can’t be!!! We don’t forget!! #WeSayNoToMazepinpic.twitter.com/LfjzSiXEDK
In truth, the daggers were already out for Mazepin.
The blond-haired son of a Russian billionaire, he has heard the familiar refrain that his motor racing path was paved by his father’s checkbook – something given added credence by reports that Mazepin Sr is expected to be a sponsor at new team Haas next season.
Mazepin has done himself few favors with petulant behavior on the track – including once punching a teenage racing rival – and other misdemeanors off it down the years.
He was accused of homophobia for making a “coming out” comment in an Instagram Live chat held by fellow driver George Russell, and supposedly defended fans spewing abuse at supporters of a viral.
He also made a tasteless attempt at a joke by wishing the coronavirus a “happy birthday” earlier this year, and has been involved in dubious social media interactions with female fans.
Those occasions – as now – drew overwrought responses to what would be better be described as crass comments emanating from a somewhat immature mind.
I think we are all very aware of how much money talks, but his behaviour both on and off track is completely unacceptable not only of a racing driver but a massive insult to those who consistently outperformed him this season but have still been denied an F1 seat
Mazepin does seem like a hard person to feel sorry for, coming across as the brattish son of a Russian billionaire, who will soon be lining up for a debut season in a an F1 car – the dream of boys the world over.
Nor can his fondling be dismissed with a tut-tut of “boys will be boys” – his actions were demeaning, and not the kind of humor to be found remotely amusing, shared online or otherwise.
But equally, Mazepin’s behavior does not warrant being conflated with far more heinous sexual crimes, which is what is happening through the rhetoric being bandied around with a clear lack of consideration.
Doing that, even by today’s standards, is scraping the barrel of disproportionate outrage, and does a disservice to the people who have truly suffered serious sexual abuse.
By Liam Tyler
