Mick Schumacher’s unceremonious exit from Haas was one of the talking points of the 2022 season. Team principal Guenther Steiner often spoke about how the young German’s inexperience was causing problems, both on the sporting, and the financial side.
Steiner’s press conferences in 2022 where he spoke about Haas’ issues often involved what Schumacher was not doing right. When Drive to Survive season 5 was released last month, this saga was relived by fans. In certain scenes, Steiner was heard slandering the 2020 F2 Champion for not living up to the team’s expectations.
Guenther Steiner on his comments about Mick Schumacher in the latest season of Drive to Survive:
“I didn’t watch it, but I made the comments so I remember some of the things I say. Obviously Drive to Survive shows the worst and the most tricky moments. So obviously that’s what… https://t.co/pAr6Z9evvO
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) March 10, 2023
In one scene, a reporter from Sky Germany asks the 57-year-old a question about Schumacher’s confidence. The reporter wanted to know if Steiner considered confidence to be a key factor for Schumacher to perform at Haas. This was something that angered Steiner and he stormed off. The Netflix cameras, however, caught Steiner saying that if ‘Mick doesn’t like the team, he should leave’.
This was a comment that Schumacher’s uncle Ralf, did not take too kindly.
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Why was Schumacher angered at what Guenther Steiner said?
Steiner and Ralf Schumacher don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things, and most of it revolves around how the latter thinks Haas treated his nephew. The former Williams driver has repeatedly spoken on how harsh Gene Haas and Steiner have been on Schumacher, and publicly criticized them on multiple occasions.
Ralf felt that Steiner’s comments after his interview with the Sky Germany journalists were unnecessary. He felt that there was no need to drag his nephew into the conversation.
Steiner, however, felt that the question was a personal attack on him since Schumacher is German, and that is where the reporter was from. On top of that, Ralf himself, was a member of the Sky Germany team.
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How will Haas perform in 2023?
After a disastrous 2021 season where they finished rock bottom with zero points, the Kannapolis-based outfit made up in 2022 by finishing eighth with 37 points. This year, their new sponsor MoneyGram has brought in a huge cash injection, so they will be able to utilize the entire budget cap.
With Nico Hulkenberg joining Haas and Kevin Magnussen alongside him, Steiner can’t blame inexperience for limiting their charge anymore. If the VF-23 has pace to get into the midfield, they are within a shout of finishing ahead or with more points than they did last season.
