Haas has sentenced Mick Schumacher. Or at least that is what is said from the Formula 1 paddock. The specialized media are already talking about Nico Hulkenberg as the substitute for the son of Michael Schumacher. Nevertheless, his uncle Ralf has come out to defend him of the reviews.
“Anything is possible of course, if you look at the last few races, who knows? Magnussen may not be attached to the seat so firmly anymore.. If we look at the races from Silverstone, we have to conclude that Mick is the more stable and the better of the two pilots“, commented Ralf Schumacher to ‘Sky Germany’.
Mick’s uncle affirms that it is the Danish driver who could be in danger for 2023 and bets on two Germans in Haas next season: “He has also had some bad luck with the wrong strategies. In the last race, Mick was six tenths faster than Magnussen, so let’s wait for the next races. I hope Haas makes a decision soon. Maybe next year we will have two Germans on the Formula 1 grid.“.
This argument is supported by the result of the Mexican Grand Prix, in which Mick finished ahead of Magnussen, although both finished lapped and very far from the points. In addition, Ralf emphasizes the presence of two Germans (Hulkenberg) given that Haas’s main sponsor is ‘1&1’, a German sponsor with a great impact on the budget of the American team.
From the team they distrust Mick
The decision to renew Mick Schumacher will end up falling on Gene Haasowner of the team, who in statements to ‘AP’ reaffirmed the doubts they have in the son of the seven-time world champion: “I think Mick has a lot of potential, but you know it costs a fortune And it’s wrecked a lot of things that have cost us a lot of money that we just don’t have.”.
Looking at the standings, Mick has scored 12 points this season, half that of Kevin Magnussen. On the other hand, the accidents he has suffered have been important, with two of them quite serious: Saudi Arabia and Monaco. Over there, Mick suffered accidents that ended up splitting his car in half and whose repairs exceeded one million euros each.
In addition, at the same time that they demand results from the German, Mick has the pressure of knowing that they are negotiating in parallel with Nico Hulkenberg, as the Aston Martin reserve driver himself confirmed: “It is not my decision. The negotiations are still ongoing and I am relatively optimistic. You have to have a little more patience”.
Even from other teams you can see the distrust that the Americans have with Schumacher. Helmut Marko, Red Bull advisor, commented to ‘RTL’: “When a team criticizes the driver so much in public, as has happened, it shows that there is a lack of confidence within the team”.
Despite this, it seems that Haas will give Mick the remaining two races of margin to show that he deserves the seat and the objectives are set: score points and not cost the team money.
And without Formula 1, what is left for Mick?
If Haas decides not to renew Mick, The German has no place left in Formula 1, or at least not in a titular way. The only remaining free seat is for Williams, but Jost Capito (team boss) stated that the seat will go to Logan Sergeant if you get the necessary points from the super license. And it is quite feasible that he will do it since, with one F2 race remaining, he would have to drop five positions in the World Championship not to do it.
Also, Mick Schumacher is no longer a Ferrari academy driver. This season his contract with the Italians ends and there will be no renewal, so being his reserve driver or receiving his help to find another seat seems like a utopia. And most teams already have their reserve drivers closed for 2023.
So, the German has Haas left… or leave Formula 1. There are several options, following in the footsteps of several Formula 1 drivers. The first of them would be the IndyCara competition that begins to be heard frequently in the ‘Great Circus’ after Álex Palou’s participation in free practice, something that Patricio O’Ward will also do or the case Colton Herthawhich was close to AlphaTauri until the FIA denied the superlicence.
There are several free seats left and several drivers from Formula 1 have landed there. Marcus Ericsson, who went unnoticed through F1, is one of the benchmarks in the category. Or Romain Grosjean, who precisely made the path that Mick could consider, from Hass to IndyCar.
The other more feasible option is the WEC endurance championship. There Kamui Kobayashi or Brandon Hartley found the place that they did not achieve in Formula 1. This season Ferrari Hypercar arrives in competitionso it could be quite a feasible option to compete with them.
However, Mick Schumacher is going to rush his last option in Formula 1. Despite pressure from Hulkenberg or criticism from Gene Haas, his continuity will depend on his results in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
