Formula One driver Nikita Mazepin has taken full responsibility after being filmed groping a woman. (More Sports News)
The behavior was condemned as “abhorrent” by his new Haas team in December. The video showed Mazepin apparently groping a woman's chest in a car. The video quickly circulated on Instagram Stories and across social networks before Mazepin deleted it.
“I'm not proud of it," Mazepin said on Thursday at his team's online car launch. "I have taken the responsibility for it both on and off the circuit. As human beings (we) have to show a certain behavior towards each other.”
Mazepin said he did not upload the video, but blamed himself nevertheless.
"There is no confusion from my side. I take the responsibility for my actions, I'm very firm in that. In regards to the video coming onto social media, I can say that it wasn't my hands that have put it there.”
The 22-year-old Mazepin did not say if he has apologized to the woman.
"I think a privacy matter is very important in this case,” he said. “I don't think it would be correct for me to bring other people into this very wide media discussion.”
He is the son of Russian billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, who financially backs the racing effort. The car's new livery carries the colors of the Russian flag: White on top, blue in the middle, red on the bottom — and the name of his father's fertilizer company.