Mick Schumacher submitted a letter of application for a Formula 1 cockpit in 2023 in Zandvoort. While his teammate Kevin Magnussen had already retired in Q1, he drove sensationally in eighth place in Q3. The fact that things didn’t go as hoped in the race was less due to the young German than to the Haas team’s jack.
Nevertheless, it is not yet known whether Schumacher will continue in Formula 1. Separation is said to be imminent with the Ferrari squad, at Alpine experts give him outsider chances at best, and AlphaTauri has already canceled in the form of Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko. So Haas remains as the most realistic variant.
German fans dream of one day seeing Schumacher in a Ferrari or Mercedes, just like his father Michael used to. And in fact there are again words of praise from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after Zandvoort: “Both our cars are taken,” he says, but: “Mick deserves a place in Formula 1.”
Wolff argues: “Mick is a great personality, he has talent, he’s fast. He just needs more time […]. I hope that we will continue to have a German driver in Formula 1. If a place should become available, we always take the one with the best performance. Mick would definitely be someone we would have on our radar.”
In reality, of course, the question does not arise, because at least until the end of 2023 both Mercedes cockpits have been awarded to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. But at least Haas team boss Günther Steiner has recently come back to friendlier tones. Schumacher did a “good job” on Saturday and was unlucky on Sunday, he thinks.
Nevertheless, Steiner is criticized again, by Mick’s uncle Ralf Schumacher. He says on “Sky”: “The most unfortunate role – as always – is played by Günther. He always manages to demotivate people and he doesn’t appreciate what he has in the team. Because he has two good pilots.” And emphasizes: “If I were team manager, I would stick with both drivers.”
Nico Rosberg, Formula 1 world champion from 2016 and also “Sky” expert, was “totally happy” about Schumacher’s strong performance on Saturday: “Mick is under pressure and has to deliver, then he showed such a sensational qualifying . He dominated Magnussen. To finish in the top 10 like that is exactly what he needs.”
Rosberg sees the best chance of continuing Schumacher’s Formula 1 career “with Haas and Williams”. And he underlines the words of his former team boss Wolff when he says: “He deserves to be on the starting line-up.”