Helmut Marko does not assume that Mick Schumacher will get a new contract with Haas and will also drive in Formula 1 next season. “When a team publicly criticizes the driver so massively, as was sometimes the case, it shows that there is no sign of trust within the team,” said the Red Bull chief adviser in an exclusive interview with “RTL / ntv”. He thinks it is difficult “that you can shape another future here”.
Schumacher’s contract with Haas expires at the end of the season, and with two races to go, the 23-year-old is currently 16th in the drivers’ championship with twelve points.
“At Haas, the situation is such that Magnussen is an experienced driver and if there were an up-and-coming, great talent, I would rely on this one. But I don’t see anyone who has these requirements at the moment,” said Marko: “And From a team perspective, there’s a lot of money at stake in the Constructors’ World Championship – whether you’re tenth or eighth, that’s x million dollars difference – I assume that Haas will bet on a veteran.”
Nico Hülkenberg is a hot candidate for the Haas seat – Marko sees it that way too. Should the 35-year-old make his comeback as a regular driver in Formula 1 in 2023, “that would be a shame for ‘ServusTV’ (where Hülkenberg works as an expert, Editor’s note). On the other hand, Hülkenberg has the aura and he has proven it: he jumps into the car as a reserve driver without any test kilometers, so to speak, into the cold water, and has always delivered. That speaks volumes for him.”
Haas announces imminent Schumacher decision
Haas team boss Günther Steiner once again put Schumacher’s chance of being placed next to Kevin Magnussen at “Fifty-Fifty” in the “RTL / ntv” interview. For the US racing team, it’s all about “who can lead the team stably into the future”.
Haas is “close” to a decision, which should preferably be made before the Sao Paulo GP in Brazil (November 13 LIVE on RTL), said Steiner. The cockpit assignment ultimately depends on the question of youth or experience. And this is where Marko Schumacher seems to be lagging behind.
Marko: Mick Schumacher “much better” in the second half of the season
The Red Bull chief gave Schumacher a mixed review for his second F1 season. “From the outside it looked like the first half of the season wasn’t good, there were serious accidents with a lot of material and money damage, which is of course serious for teams. Then there were very good races, England and Austria Schumacher got significantly better in the second half of the year,” said Marko. Most recently, the German “had some bad luck with Haas’ strategy and also had defects”.
For Schumacher it would “certainly be a possibility” to take a break in 2023 and fill the role as a reserve driver at Ferrari. The Austrian pointed out that in 2024 “some places will become vacant, contracts will expire”. In the paddock there has been speculation for some time that Schumacher could join Sauber in two years. In 2026, Audi will join the Swiss racing team, which will then become a German works team – with Schumacher as the German driver?
Martin Armbruster