F1 team visited by POLICE at Dutch GP as former sponsor 'attempts to seize its cars'

The Haas Formula 1 team has been visited by police during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort over an arbitration case involving a former sponsor.

The American team are currently seventh in the Constructors' Championship, with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg driving for them.

Hulkenberg signed a two-year contract with Haas in 2023 - he will leave at the end of the season to join Sauber - while Magnussen re-joined the team for his second spell a year earlier.

Magnussen's deal was agreed after Haas parted company with Russian driver Nikita Mazepin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Haas also terminated the contract of their title sponsor Uralkali, a Russian chemical company whose major shareholder is Mazepin's father, Dmitry.

Earlier this year, Uralkali launched legal action against Haas in which the company claimed damages and sought repayments of 'the significant amounts Uralkali had paid for the 2022 Formula 1 season'.

An arbitration court ruled on the case in June, with Haas stating that the ruling found they 'had a just cause to terminate the Sponsorship Agreement'.

The ruling appeared to mean that Haas could keep the portion of the sponsorship fee that covered up to March 4, 2022, and refund the balance of the $13 million total - around $9 million.

Now, the saga has taken a fresh turn, with Sky Sports reporting that police and bailiffs visited the Haas paddock in Zandvoort to take an inventory after a request to Dutch authorities from Uralkali.

The bailiffs are attempting to seize Haas' assets due to the settlement still being unpaid - which could threaten their participation in the remainder of the 2024 F1 season.

The American team are said to have been told that they will be able to compete this weekend, but will not be able to remove their cars or equipment from the circuit until the necessary payment is made.

Sky report that the reason behind the non-payment is due to the economic sanctions placed on Russian companies such as Uralkali, meaning Haas haven't been able to complete the transaction.

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said: "This process is very complicated. That's why it is taking longer than we would like to, but our lawyers are on it.

"We are completely focused to solve this as quickly as possible, so it should be fine. I don't see any issues [in competing at Monza]."

Haas also released an official team statement to RacingNews365.

It confirmed that it intended to complete the payment in full, but that they had been working with their lawyers to ensure that the payment complies with laws relating to Uralkali's sanctions.

The statement reads: "Haas intends to pay all amounts due to Uralkali pursuant to the arbitration award, and there is no dispute over the amounts due.

"Haas has been working with its lawyers to ensure that the payment complies with all relevant US, EU, UK and Swiss sanctions laws and regulations.

"We will continue to work with Uralkali in the coming days to definitively resolve this matter."

A Uralkali spokesperson has claimed that the June arbitrary ruling was with 'immediate effect' and has been 'ignored' by Haas.

The company also alleges that there have 'not now and never have been any sanctions issues preventing Haas from fulfilling its obligations'.

They told RacingNews365: "We are delighted to hear that, following last night's visit from Dutch authorities, Haas is finally paying attention to the arbitral ruling.

"Uralkali wants nothing more than to receive what it was awarded during a fair judicial process and hopes that Haas will move quickly to rectify the situation so that all sides can move on."