Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, has affirmed that Mick Schumacher’s ship in Formula 1 has not sailed yet.
The German endured a difficult start to the year, suffering big crashes in Jeddah and Monaco, and he was struggling to find his feet as he failed to score a point in any of the opening nine rounds.
However, he finally secured his first points in Silverstone with a fine display, preceded by a solid performance in Canada that merited points, only for a reliability failure to scupper those chances.
Eighth place at the British Grand Prix was immediately followed by sixth in Austria as the 23-year-old started to show the prowess that had taken him to the 2020 Formula 2 title.
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Neither he nor team-mate, Kevin Magnussen, have scored since then though, with the American side encountering tracks in Spa and Monza that do not suit them, as well as astute development by AlphaTauri, Aston Martin and Williams.
Schumacher’s performances of late have given a sense of optimism that he may remain on the grid next season, but as it stands, he is out of contract at the end of this year.
There has been no guarantee from Haas that they will retain the former F2 champion, and there are also rumours that he will be splitting with Ferrari at the end of the year.
It is possible that the Scuderia may intervene and influence Haas’ decision, as their supply relationship with the Banbury-based team means they want them to develop Ferrari academy talents.
Steiner, though, has affirmed the choice of Magnussen’s team-mate next term will be down to him and team owner, Gene Haas.
The Italian will not be rushed into a decision, with Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg all showing up on the radar of late.
“We are considering what is best for the development of the team, do we only look at the technology or also the driving element?” Steiner elucidated in conversation with Speed Week.
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“To be honest, we don’t know if Mick will stay or not.
“He delivered very good races in Canada, England and Austria, but he lacks the consistency to perform well. We’re in no hurry on the driver issue and Mick still has chances to show what he can do.”
Schumacher has also been linked with the vacant seat at Alpine after Fernando Alonso signed with Aston Martin, while Oscar Piastri agreed to join McLaren in 2023.