After only two years in F1, the door was shut on a promising Mick Schumacher. With problems overflowing at Haas over his years on the grid, the Schumacher wasn’t on the best of terms with team principal Guenther Steiner as he walked out those doors. And this has permeated to the Schumacher family who continue to voice their distaste for Steiener’s disbelief.
A lot of blame has been placed on the team principal who has been accused of failing to nurture the rookie driver properly. Even Toto Wolff, who took Mick under his wings at Mercedes, had choice words for Steiner. “And I claim that if Michael had accompanied his son during the two Haas years, Steiner would not have dared to treat Mick like that!”
Members of the F1 royal family have also spoken out against the team principal; some more loudly than others. Now, Mick’s cousin David Schumacher joins in on the conversation.
Mick Schumacher deserved better odds at Haas
David, the son of F1 driver turned pundit, Ralf Schumacher, believes that Mick faced difficulties at the American outfit because he did not have a worthy teammate during his rookie season. Steiner had gambled by filling his seats with two rookies, a bad move in the long run.
As quoted by SoyMotor, “Mick’s problem is that he couldn’t really fight with his teammate, Nikita Mazepin, in his first year. The two were debuting in Formula 1 and had dominated Mazepin, it was no reference for him. Drivers who are newcomers need that to develop.”
The following year, Mick’s performance plateaued, with glimpses of promise that were dulled in comparison with his new teammate Kevin Magnussen. “I don’t think Haas gave Mick enough time to improve as a driver in those circumstances, since Formula 1 is incredibly complicated.”
However, David worries that those two years will define Schumacher’s career for the rest of time; possibly robbing him of a shot at redemption. Although his role at Mercedes should reap some benefits, the Schumachers keep their fingers crossed. “I hope he has another chance and if they have it, he will convince, I’m sure.”
Toto Wolff praises Schumi Jr.
While Steiner lost out on the driver, Wolff found a diamond. In an especially difficult 2023 seaosn, Mick has played a crucial part in helping the team improve their car. Putting in the hours at the simulator, Schumacher has become an important cog in the Mercedes machine.
Wolff highlighted the extent of Mick’s contribution. “The engineers and Mick Schumacher are working late into the night till 2am trying to figure out how to get the best preparation of the car to be in good shape for a qualifying lap for that single push lap without changing the fundamental setup.”
Further, the Mercedes man appreciates the values Mick brings to the team. “Mick is just such a great guy. He’s not only a good racing driver but he has all the right values in place.”
Therefore, we might see a day when Mick could possibly race for Mercedes, or like Wolff did with Ocon, in Alpine. However, the scars of the Haas years will remain fresh.
