Former Formula 1 drivers Marc Surer is pleased to see that Mick Schumacher is in a car capable of scoring points after Haas’ wretched 2021 campaign.
Haas spent the majority of the 2021 season preparing for the new technical regulations introduced this year, and they failed to score a single point as a result, with their best result coming by way of a P13 through Schumacher in Hungary.
Their development has paid off this year though and Kevin Magnussen, who was re-signed to replace the sacked Nikita Mazepin amid Russia’s war on Ukraine, has managed points in three of the opening five rounds of the year.
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A combination of mistakes and misfortune has cost Schumacher the chance it put his first points on the board, and though title credentials may be questionable at this stage, Surer has few concerns as to the 23-year-old’s ability to become a “good driver.”
“He will be a good driver. I would doubt whether he will become World Champion, but I wouldn’t rule it out,” he said.
It looked as though there might be a real chance of getting into the top 10 in Miami for the German, but his mistimed dive down the inside on Sebastian Vettel meant that his scoreless run now stands at 27 race entries.
Aston Martin boss Mike Krack described the move as “over-zealous” from Schumacher, and Surer agrees.
“The main mistake was Mick’s. He was rattled there,” he affirmed, eluding to the mistake Schumacher made that put Vettel ahead of him right before they crashed.
“Vettel was in front and has to give in at some point. He can’t continue straight just because Mick might be half off.”
Schumacher has generally been quicker and more competitive in his second season in series than his first, as evidenced by the two bites of the cherry he had at Formula 3 and Formula 2 before winning those championships, and Surer believes he is settling nicely into Haas now.
“That was also his strength in the lower formulas, in the end he won races and the championship – and that’s how I see it now,” he explained.
“At the beginning, he had a huge gap to Magnussen, who had more experience, knew the team. That was of course an unfair comparison.”
The Swiss notes that Schumacher, having out-qualified Magnussen for the second time this season in Miami, was generally the faster of the two Haas cars, so he reckons the 2019 F2 champion is on the right track.
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“But he has worked it out now, is becoming more constant – and it’s more Magnussen who has fluctuations. That’s why I think it’s nice that Mick will be in a faster team the whole year,” added the 11-time points finisher.
Haas’ tremendous start to the year has perhaps wavered slightly in recent weeks partly due to the astronomical improvements of McLaren, and they find themselves seventh in the Constructors’ Championship ahead of AlphaTauri, Aston Martin and Williams.