Günther Steiner does not want to have his cards looked at in the late autumn of the 2022 Formula 1 season either. The Haas team boss cannot and does not want to give the German racing driver Mick Schumacher a new contract for the coming year. While the most important personnel decisions have long since been made in the almost assembled competition, the boss of the US team keeps things exciting.
As Steiner himself clarified to RTL and ntv on Tuesday, Mick Schumacher’s chances of another year at Haas are currently “50 to 50”.
The 57-year-old also made no secret of the fact that he is actively looking at alternatives to Schumacher and is holding talks about them. For example with veteran Nico Hülkenberg, with whom Steiner last spoke on the phone.
While teammate Kevin Magnussen has been free of all future worries all year round and has a contract with Haas until at least the end of 2023, Mick Schumacher is exposed to a very special pressure situation.
Every mistake could mean the end, every placement outside the points range the end of further contract talks.
Steiner does not believe that the Haas team management is putting an excessive burden on the son of record world champion Michael Schumacher in the hot final phase of the season.
“As an athlete, you’re always under pressure. He knows what it’s about. He has to perform. We’re talking about it openly!” Said the South Tyrolean in an interview with RTL / ntv.
Steiner describes Mick Schumacher’s “home advantage”.
Schumacher himself recently tried in Singapore and Suzuka to deal with this ordeal as calmly as possible. At the latest after the lackluster places 13 and 17 from the last two races it is clear: If Mick does not finish in the top ten in the final phase in the USA, Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi, it was for him with the US team by owner Gene Haas.
Günther Steiner meanwhile makes it clear that Schumacher must see his currently vague question about the future as a positive opportunity: “A home advantage is always an advantage. He’s in the car. Others can’t prove how good they are. He can do it. It’s also lying in his hands and feet to prove what he can do. Logically, that’s pressure. Pressure isn’t a bad thing. Because you get an opportunity with pressure.”
Before the US Grand Prix, which will be held in Austin, Texas next Sunday (from 9 p.m. German time), Steiner was confident that Schumacher knows how to handle this spicy constellation: “I think he can handle it. We were behind Back to Japan on the same plane. He was in a pretty good mood. He knows what it’s about. He grew up in a racing family. It’s part of his job.”