Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, is not sure if his team will have their immediate future resolved before the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but all he can do is hope.
Mick Schumacher was signed on for another year after some impressive displays in an immensely underperforming Haas car last season.
The German did not really have a benchmark to go off while being paired with Nikita Mazepin, but the Russian was dismissed ahead of the new season amid his country’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Kevin Magnussen returned after a year away from Formula 1, and he has scored points five times this year, two of which arrived in the opening two rounds of the season.
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For Schumacher, progress has been a little slower, and two big, expensive crashes in Jeddah and Monaco did not help his confidence.
The 23-year-old has grown into the campaign though, and two points finishes have materialised in Silverstone and Spielberg.
Both Haas drivers have been a little unlikely not to score points in any of the last seven races, but Schumacher has been consistently on the pace of his team-mate since Canada.
However, he is still not signed to a new contract beyond the end of this year, and Nico Hulkenberg, who has raced five times for Aston Martin – previously Racing Point – since he left Renault in 2019, is thought to be a leading contender to replace his compatriot.
The advantage Schumacher has, however, is that he is already established and ensconced within the American outfit.
“If you can have someone you’ve worked with for two years, it’s always better than bringing in someone new,” said Steiner.
“Mick didn’t get his points with luck but through performance, I’ve always said that. The points are a result of a development.”
The 2020 Formula 2 champion is said to have begun talks around a new deal in Singapore last weekend, and those will resume at the United States Grand Prix later in October.
Team owner, Gene Haas, will be present that weekend, and Steiner hopes to take a bigger step towards finalising the team’s plans heading into 2023.
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“I hope so,” he said when asked if Haas will get everything sorted by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.
“There’s no joy for me in giving you an answer that you do not like. ‘I don’t know’ is the answer. I don’t enjoy giving that answer and I’m not trying to be rude.”
Schumacher did not help his cause on Friday by crashing at the end of FP1, and the subsequent full chassis change completely ruled him out of the second practice session.