After a couple of years relying on at least one rookie for results, Haas will have a very experienced driver line up of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg in 2023, after choosing to replace young Mick Schumacher.
The German outperformed fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin in 2021, but has struggled to match the high standards of the ever consistent Magnussen this season, as the Dane impressed on his return to the grid, even securing the team’s first pole position in Brazil.
Schumacher was told by team owner Gene Haas that he needed to score a reasonable haul of points during the season’s final run it, but small mistakes and damage to his car in Austin prevented the 23-year-old from scoring a single point in the race weekends after his boss’s comments.
Former F1 champion Damon Hill has suggested that the ultimatum placed on Schumacher by his team was the downfall of the German, as he struggled to cope with the pressure on his performances.
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“I think Mick was under a lot of scrutiny, a lot of pressure, and I think that it got to him in the end,” suggested Hill.
“I don’t know where he gets his advice from, but I think he probably found Formula 1 was harder than he thought.
“There’s other aspects to it which you only get from years of being in the sport, which Nico Hulkenberg has had.
“Therefore he can concentrate on delivering for the team, and the team ultimately need people who can just do the job without putting them under stress.”
It has been said that Schumacher was always set up to fail by Guenther Steiner and his team, as he was seemingly expected to consistently score points with a car not capable of doing so.
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Mercedes team boss has recently spoken about the young German’s sacking, claiming that he believes Schumacher is deserving of a place in F1 and that Mercedes could be a good temporary home for him as he hunts for a return to a race seat.
The Schumacher family have a long and successful relationship with Mercedes and the chance for Mick to learn from Lewis Hamilton could provide invaluable experience as he tries to prove himself worthy of a second chance in Formula 1.
It is rumoured that Audi are looking at Schumacher for their arrival to F1 in 2026, but if the German wants to be seriously considered by the team, he must keep himself in the picture rather than falling away from F1.