Mick Schumacher joined Haas in 2021 and had a decent first season with the team. However, an under-par 2022 season led to him losing his seat, and place in F1. He suffered multiple crashes which added to the bills for the team and also struggled to match teammate Kevin Magnussen’s performances for the majority of the season.
Schumacher being sacked was not a popular decision among F1 fans. They replaced the young German with 35-year-old Nico Hulkenberg who has been out of F1 for three seasons now. Choosing Hulkenberg as a replacement diver surprised many fans and they wondered what the former Renault driver could bring that Schumacher can’t.
Schumacher has had a promising junior career, winning both the F3 and F2 Championships. Most people feel that he has a bright future ahead, and the only way he fulfills his potential is through constant experience within the world of F1. Team principal Guenther Steiner does not doubt Schumacher’s ability. However, the Haas boss feels that helping the 23-year-old grow isn’t as valuable as stabilizing the team’s progress.
Mick Schumacher is already a good driver but he can be even better, says Steiner
Schumacher has failed to land a seat for himself in 2023, so he will be spending the year on the sidelines. Out of the 10 teams, opportunities look limited for him but it’s possible that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff offers him a reserve role at the Brackley-based outfit.
Steiner was the latest guest in F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast, and he spoke about why he had to make the hard decision of letting Schumacher leave. Haas as a team is looking to make big strides in the near future, and for that, they need stability. 2022 was the first time Schumacher drove a car that was able to compete with the bigger teams, and he took some risks that led to him making mistakes.
“He’s already a good driver but he can get better,” Steiner said. “But how long does it take? He’s growing with us, but he can’t make us grow.”
Steiner admitted that the Kannapolis squad can’t afford to have mistakes like Schumacher’s hamper their own progress. This is why they chose to have Hulkenberg in the team, since he has 181 starts in F1 and is one of the most experienced on the grid.
