Nobody can doubt that Mick Schumacher has potential to be a great Formula 1 driver, as the German secured a sixth-place finish at the Red Bull Ring earlier this year, as well as showing his talent in a number of different races.
The 23-year-old struggled for consistency however, as do many young drivers in Formula 1, and developed an unwanted tendency to crash his Haas in extraordinary fashion, and cost the team millions of dollars.
Schumacher snapped his car clean in half at Monaco, only weeks after a major shunt in Saudi Arabia, which reportedly cost the team over $3,000,000 combined.
The German is a much-loved figure within Formula 1, with fans warming to the son of the legendary Michael Schumacher, due to his positive attitude and clear appreciation for his opportunity to drive at the pinnacle of motorsport.
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Former F1 champion Damon Hill has suggested that while Schumacher showed the potential to do better, a driver will always be judged on his results, arguing that the 23-year-old may have found F1 more difficult than he anticipated.
“Underlying everything is always going to be the bottom line and the bottom line is you win or you don’t, or you’re quicker or you’re not, and that’s going to rule your life,” began the 1996 champion.
“I think Mick was under a lot of scrutiny, a lot of pressure and I think that it got to him in the end.
“I don’t know where he gets his advice from but I think he probably found it was harder than he thought [in] Formula 1 and there’s other aspect to it, which you only get from years of being in the sport which I think Nico Hulkenberg has had, therefore, he can concentrate on delivering for the team and that’s why the team ultimately need people who can just do the job without putting them under stress.”
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It has been rumoured that Mercedes are looking to sign Schumacher as their reserve driver for 2023, after Nyck de Vries has departed for a full-time race seat at AlphaTauri.
Audi are also rumoured to be interested in signing the German for their debut season in 2026, as Schumacher’s nationality would come as a massive plus for sponsors of the German car manufacturer.
Ralf Schumacher has suggested that learning from Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes would be too good of an opportunity to turn down for his nephew, as the 23-year-old refuses to accept claims that his F1 career is over in his hunt for a return to the grid.