“I just pushed the entry a bit too much” – Mick Schumacher reveals how he almost wrecked Fernando Alonso’s first podium

Mick Schumacher almost ruined Fernando Alonso’s first podium since Hungary 2014 at the Qatar Grand Prix. 

After more than seven years, Fernando Alonso started the race with a finish at the top three at the Qatar GP. He stormed through the track, battled with the Red Bull, AlphaTauri and Mercedes to claim the third position.

However, he might not have been able to do so if Mich Schumacher hadn’t controllers his Haas on time.

The German lost a little control while entering Turn 15 at high speed and whilst fighting to bring his car back on track before reaching the gravel, he swiped across the front of Alonso’s Alpine.

What a moment for @alo_oficial in Qatar as he clinches an incredible P3 finish and a place on the podium! 🎧 🙌#QatarGP 🇶🇦 #F1 pic.twitter.com/Cr6XrysJcj

— Formula 1 (@F1) November 21, 2021

Schumacher explained, “I just pushed the entry a bit too much, I got onto the kerb, I kind of threw the rear out. So I was happy I kept it on track because obviously at that speed it’s quite easy to lose it properly and shoot the other way.”

“I just tried to focus on getting the car back on track because we had a gravel patch coming up in front of me so it didn’t help. I was conscious of the fact I had to come back safely,” he further added.

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Mich Schumacher pleased with Haas’ handling of tyres

The track in Qatar faced a lot of pain due to several punctured tyres incidents. Four drivers faced trouble with their tyres during their race.

However, Haas did not face any problem and Schumacher seemed happy with the team’s handling. Haas approached the race and was never concerned by a potential failure.

“It was a tough race, a fun race,” added Schumacher. “It was the first time we had the opportunity to really push all race through, and we were actually going fast towards the end of the race so that was a first for me.

“The way we analysed the situation before the race was good. We made the C3, C2 [tyre compounds] stick, and I wasn’t really afraid of any punctures on our side.”

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