Last December proved to be an eventful month for Mick Schumacher, with the Haas F1 Team signing him for 2021 and the young German fending off fellow Ferrari junior driver Callum Ilott to win the Formula Two Championship.
The F1 community is looking forward to seeing the Schumacher name back in the pinnacle of motorsport in less than two months’ time, but some pundits have tried to manage expectations, stressing that Mick Schumacher needed a season to get settled into a new racing series before showing his talent the following year.
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Speaking ahead of Schumacher’s debut season, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said both he and his team-mate, Nikita Mazepin, have already proven their talent in feeder series.
“Both have already proven their talent, but both are still very young, you should never forget that,” Steiner told F1-Insider.com.
“That means you also have to allow them to make mistakes. They should learn from them. 2021 will be a year of preparation for all of us for 2022, when we want to attack and finish in the top five of the Constructors’ Championship.
“That’s why we’re already concentrating on next year’s car in the wind tunnel,” he added.
Continuing, Steiner vowed to “protect” Mick Schumacher from the media and said he is certain that he will succeed in Formula One.
“The expectation from the media will be extreme because he is the son of the record World Champion,” he said.
“But you can’t expect Mick to win seven titles as well. I will protect him when it comes down to it. Because I am convinced that he will succeed.
“You just have to give him the necessary time. The same goes for Nikita Mazepin.”
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