Mick Schumacher, the 2020 Formula 2 champion and current Haas driver, says early feedback on the design of the 2022 car has been giving him high hopes.
After failing to secure any points in the previous season with two rookie drivers, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, Haas looks to bounce back and battle in midfield from the new generation cars of Formula 1.
Last season, they opted against developing its car for 2021, so it could focus all its resources on the new technical regulations for 2022, which seemed to be a sensible decision.
Particularly towards the conclusion of the year, Schumacher was able to show indications of improvement in his maiden F1 season.
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In all but three races where both cars completed, he defeated teammate Nikita Mazepin, and he out-qualified Mazepin in 20 of the 22 races.
New Era, Fresh Start, and High Optimism
Haas F1 boss Gunther Steiner admitted he found the team’s late-season progress “very odd”, but Schumacher felt it was a “huge boost” ahead of a season where he was hopeful of a big step forward with the new car.
“The car looks to be very positive, from what I see and hear. So I have great expectations. Hopefully, they’ll meet my expectations next year on track.” concluded an optimistic Mick.
VF-22 preparations firmly on-track ahead of the 2022 season with our new chassis homologated ✅#HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/S4vR68Arso
— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) December 23, 2021
“It’s the first time that a car will be sort of built for me, and not built for everyone” – Schumacher on the new car
The 2022 car will be the first design that Schumacher has been able to have some influence in developing, having raced in spec series throughout his junior career.
He explained while stating that he was enjoying the challenge of playing a technical role and helping define the direction of the new car, allowing the team to tailor it to both his and Mazepin’s requirements.
“It’s always something that has interested me for so many years, just how things work in general, and especially how a Formula 1 car works,” Schumacher said.
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“I’m quite heavily involved in what next year’s (2022) car is doing, and just want to understand it and see all the CAD models and stuff. So there are definitely lots of points that I’m looking forward to analyzing at the beginning of next year.
“It’s been great working with the team at the factory, to be able to give my own inputs on how I would like the car to be [like].
“It’s the first time that a car will be sort of built for me, and not built for everyone. It’s very much specified on our measurements and our helmets so that all harmoniously works together.”
