Formula 1 racing team Haas caused quite a stir on Monday with the announcement that Antonio Giovinazzi would be used twice in official training this season. For regular driver Mick Schumacher, whose contract situation is still unclear, that was certainly not good news, says ex-driver Norbert Haug.
Antonio Giovinazzi takes over the cockpits from Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen for one training session each in Italy and in the USA. The official justification of Haas team boss Günther Steiner: “Ferrari wanted to give Antonio some driving time in a current Formula 1 car on a race weekend and we were of course happy to help.”
A decision that made the former head of Mercedes motorsport, Norbert Haug, shake his head. “Every kilometer that a driver doesn’t get doesn’t help him on the race weekend,” said the 69-year-old at “sky“. However, the racing team, which is seventh in the constructors’ championship, “needed” to “concentrate more on its own drivers”.
Giovinazzi can look back on a total of 62 starts in the premier class. Although he was last used for Dragon-Penske in Formula E, the bond with Formula 1 was never finally cut after leaving Alfa Romeo at the end of 2021, as Giovinazzi is listed as a reserve driver at Ferrari. Haas is a Ferrari customer and now wants to rely on the Italian’s experience.
“Anyone who can do something like that is certainly not an untalented follower”
At the same time, Haas could use the Italian as a kind of leverage on Mick Schumacher, according to the former racing driver. Schumacher is currently fighting for a follow-up contract. His team boss Günther Steiner recently stated that the 23-year-old had to score more points.
Norbert Haug on this: “If I say on the one hand that I expect more points, then a driver must also be able to say that I expect more practice.” In Spielberg, Schumacher had a race “on par with a seven-time world champion” (Lewis Hamilton, editor’s note). “Anyone who can do something like that is certainly not an untalented follower.”
In addition, Haug would like more support within the team for the son of F1 icon Michael Schumacher. “A driver is a racehorse and not a farm horse. You have to give him courage.”