Mick Schumacher lost his place at Haas and subsequently in F1 after spending just two years in the sport. Guenther Steiner, who was the Team Principal of the Kannapolis-based outfit at the time, decided against renewing Schumacher’s contract after 2022. Recently, he discussed the German driver again, talking about his chances of returning to the sport.
Schumacher has been on the sidelines since 2023, and as things stand, there isn’t much chance of seeing him on the grid any time soon. There is some hope in the form of Sauber, which will be taken over by Audi in two years, as they are a German team.
However, if Schumacher misses out on that opportunity, returning to F1 would be challenging, Steiner said on the Pitstop podcast.
“It’s difficult to say,” he said. “I mean, there is still the Sauber seat up this year. Or for next year. I think if he doesn’t get a Sauber seat for next year, it will be difficult. Because then he would be out at the next chance three years of F1.”
So either it’s the only available seat on the grid or nothing, the former Haas boss suggested.
Schumacher has remained in touch with the F1 paddock as a Mercedes reserve, but he was never concretely linked to any team. There were murmurs of interest from Audi/Sauber, which is why Steiner addressed them in the podcast.
: Mick Schumacher is reportedly being considered for an Audi F1 seat in 2025 as Valtteri Bottas pushes for a better contract. Audi has ruled out young prospects Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto, leaving Schumacher a strong contender alongside Nico Hulkenberg.#F1 pic.twitter.com/0heLVcxCVH
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) October 7, 2024
However, if they wanted Schumacher because he was German, they would have signed him already, as they did with the 25-year-old’s compatriot, Nico Hulkenberg.
There seems to be no other factor that would make him an asset for any F1 team, at least according to the decision-makers. In fact, earlier this year, he was snubbed in favor of a rookie Franco Colapinto by Williams’ boss James Vowles.
Vowles claimed Schumacher was not special
Williams recently replaced their underperforming driver, Logan Sargeant, with Colapinto. Many have wondered why Schumacher, a driver with two years of experience, was not considered for the seat. It was up to Vowles to decide who would fill the position, and according to him, there was nothing special about him.
As quoted by Motorsport, he said, “I think we have to be straightforward about this. Mick isn’t special. He would just be good.”
Since his ousting, Schumacher has been unable to break into F1 and has not convinced any teams of his talents. Plus, he is now competing against a pool of talented youngsters. As Steiner stated, if he doesn’t secure a seat with Audi in 2025, he may have to sit out for an even longer period, potentially indefinitely.
