Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, has affirmed that he does not feel any pressure to decide the team’s driver line-up for next year.
Mick Schumacher came into this season expecting to partner Nikita Mazepin after they both made their breakthrough in 2021, but the Russian was dropped amid his country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He was replaced by Kevin Magnussen, who is now on a multi-year deal with the American side he raced with from 2017 to 2020.
Schumacher is out of contract at the end of this season, and there are suspicions that he may part ways with the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) at the end of this year.
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The 2020 Formula 2 champion finally scored the first points of his career at the British Grand Prix, before adding to them in Austria following a tricky start to the season.
Big crashes in Jeddah and Monaco had put him under pressure, and he is yet to agree a deal that keeps him with Haas next season.
Sadly for the 23-year-old, it is not as simple as putting pen to paper, because Ferrari will want one of their drivers in the Haas car next year.
Former Alfa Romeo driver Antonio Giovinazzi is in the conversation after his Formula E exploits never quite went to plan, while Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc have been mightily impressive in Formula 3 this year.
Schumacher certainly has competition for his seat, and Haas will soon have a decision to make, and Steiner suggested that the next three races in Spa, Zandvoort and Monza will be “important.”
But there is no rush from the Italian to finalise anything yet, particularly given that there is no confirmation that Schumacher will part ways with Ferrari.
“We watch everything, we stay calm, we don’t panic, no need to panic in the moment,” added Steiner, quoted by Racefans.net.
Magnussen will line up 12th for the Belgian Grand Prix after getting knocked out in the first qualifying phase, while Schumacher’s penalties take him from 15th to last.
Points may be a challenge in Spa, but Steiner is optimistic of getting some scores on the board over the next couple of weeks.
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“I think in general, if we can score a few points the next races, it would be good for us again, because I think we have got the potential to do it, we just need to always execute a good race weekend,” he added.
Haas are currently seventh in the Constructors’ Standings and, were they to end the season there, it would be their highest championship finish since 2018.