“Haas are not the biggest team” – Mick Schumacher has revealed why Ferrari did not sign him up for Alfa Romeo, and shares details of his initial team chemistry with the American outfit.
Mick Schumacher, the reigning F2 champion, is a superstar in the making. The German will be making his Formula 1 debut this season with the Ferrari-backed Haas team. Asked by Auto Motor und Sport about his initial interaction with his new team, Schumacher had only good things to say.
“Haas are not the biggest team but they have a very direct line to their drivers. We are in contact very often, which is nice, of course. It’s also good to know and discuss what the team’s goals are. They work very well with their drivers.”
Happy with these first laps of 2021. @ScuderiaFerrari @F1 @HaasF1Team #essereFerrari #FDA pic.twitter.com/DKtr65N56Z
— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) January 29, 2021
Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin in; Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen out
Haas, after having a disappointing season, decided to let go of their long-standing pair of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. In come Schumacher and Russian talent Nikita Mazepin, who have been tasked to overtake Alfa Romeo.
“I also think a breath of fresh air will do the team a lot of good. Hopefully it will motivate them and let us move forward well together. I felt comfortable right away. That sometimes takes longer. At Haas, it was after the first day, after the first meeting. I’m happy to have been placed there. It’s a good place for me to develop further.”
Schumacher Jr. was also in discussions with his parent team Ferrari about getting placed in Alfa Romeo, the sister outfit. But the Sauber-backed team decided to retain Antonio Giovinazzi and the veteran Kimi Raikkonen.
“The decision was made together, of course. Ferrari knows the business extremely well. They know exactly what is best for me.”
