Russian racing driver Nikita Mazepin has lost a High Court case against UK government officials to get sanctions against him lifted.
Mazepin and his father Dmitry were sanctioned by the UK, Canada and the European Union in March 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Billionaire businessman Dmitry Mazepin was deemed a close associate of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Mazepin was also sacked by Formula 1 team Haas as a result of the invasion.
Mazepin has taken legal action against UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and a judge will oversee a trial in 19 July.
Lawyers representing Mazepin asked Mr Justice Linden at a High Court hearing in London on Thursday to suspend the sanctions in the interim so he could travel to the United Kingdom in order to begin negotiations with Formula 1 teams based there.
The judge dismissed their application, saying he was “quite satisfied” that the balance of evidence weighed against granting interim relief.
It was also suggested by the judge that Mazepin would struggle to strike a deal with an F1 team until his claim for relief from sanctions is resolved.
Mazepin and his father are subject to an assets freeze and travel ban as part of the sanctions, though lawyers representing the Foreign Office argued that Mazepin could still negotiate with Formula 1 teams with the sanctions in place.
The former Formula 1 driver’s lawyers told the judge there was no evidence he supported Russia’s “actions” in Ukraine, adding the sanctions were “unfair” and “draconian”.