Formula 1 | Schumacher: Rookies don’t have enough time to grow in F1
Mick Schumacher, who will not take part in the starting grids next season, believes that the time has been difficult for the beginners of Formula 1, they do not have enough time to develop in the discipline.
The German lost his place to Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 season, with Haas opting to bet on experience after giving the F1 rookie two years of chance.
The founder of the American team, Gene Haas, justified Schumacher’s departure, following the words of Gunter Steiner: “This sport doesn’t allow you to have rookie pilots, it’s too expensive.”
“I think Mick has a lot of potential but he’s cost us a fortune with his crashes and we can’t afford that.”
And Mick Schumacher to agree with his former boss: “He’s right about that.” said this week.
“Formula 1 is a sport where you have to push yourself to the limit. Sometimes you have to go beyond it to find it.”
“In this environment, many people say that a young driver needs three years to adapt. I agree with that. Formula 1 is a completely different caliber than other categories I have flown in the past.”
“There is no development within the teams in the performance formulas, so you can feel your progress as a driver very clearly. Whereas in F1 every team is developing. We have brought a big aerodynamic package this year, but few other teams.”
“Every time I got into the car, I felt more comfortable. You can see this as a positive trend.”
Schumacher admits that it took him a few races to get the most out of his car.
“In retrospect, my approach was probably wrong with the VF-22. Kevin (Magnussen) had nothing to lose, I lost… We lost at the beginning with the configuration and settings of the car, but we “We then realized quite quickly and we made the right decisions. We started from scratch. I’ve had a car that suits me since the Canadian GP and we haven’t stopped improving.”
Schumacher was poised to score his first points of the season in Montreal when he retired with a technical problem. He followed through on his promise by scoring points in the next two races, but did not return to the top 10 for the rest of the year.
So F1 teams are running out of patience with newbies: “Yes, it is possible. Of course, I don’t know how other teenagers are treated, and I can only speak from my own experience. I needed time.”
Schumacher says the pressure doesn’t affect him
In particular, Schumacher has had to deal with the pressure of knowing that he is no longer Haas F1’s number 1 option for 2023. But he says it doesn’t affect him much: “Not really. I could only do better in the race. The team knew what I was capable of.”
The German was also unfazed by Haas F1’s demand to finish in the top 10 more often, which he has done twice in 2022: “It didn’t increase the pressure. The points were goals for all of us.”
“We had a few chances to get some, but unfortunately there were reasons why that didn’t happen more often. If certain situations had gone differently, we would have scored more points.”
“It’s disappointing in a way because I think I did a good job this year. But the team decided and I have to respect that. Now I have to focus on the future.”
The future, or rather, according to certain rumors, may be a reserve position in Mercedes F1. The most important thing for Schumacher in any case is to keep one foot in the paddock next season.
“Plan A has always been to stay in Formula 1, so I’m looking at the options I have. I hope I choose the right option. I want to prove anyone who doesn’t believe me wrong. I know what I’m doing. I can and why I can succeed in F1 I don’t understand what I don’t know.”
