Haas Formula 1 team has defended itself against allegations its parent company has violated US sanctions by providing engines and parts to Russia
Key points:
- Haas F1 team has responded to a report their parent company has supplied Russia with engines
- The report claimed these engines violate sanctions the US government imposed on Russia
- The F1 team says the report was false and any engines supplied to Russian businesses were before the sanctions were imposed
The statement comes after US broadcaster PBS ran a story on Tuesday alleging Haas Automation was working with Russian arms agencies.
PBS cited the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, who had filed paperwork to US agencies that handle sanction compliance.
Reporter Simon Ostrovsky said in his report:
The ESCU said it spent months combing through Russian government procurement databases and customs records to establish that Haas, the largest machine tool builder in the Western world, supplies multiple Russian weapons manufacturers with sophisticated equipment known as computer numerical control machines, or CNC.
The story alleged 18 machines had been sent to Russia, from Haas, since sanctions were imposed following the war in Ukraine.
Haas Formula 1 team released a statement on Thursday claiming the story “is simply false”.
“Haas Automation is and has always been in full compliance with US government export control,” the statement read.
“No machines have shipped from the Haas Automation factory to Russia since March 3, 2022.
“The 18 machines referenced in the story left the Haas Automation factory prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
Haas was the most affected team from the war in Ukraine when it began in February 2022.
The team dumped Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, which also meant they lost major sponsor Ukrali, which is owned by Mazepin’s father.