The bad accident of Formula 1 star Mick Schumacher during qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has given his Haas racing team a lot of work.
“On TV you can only see the external damage, but we also have to see what broke inside the car. For example, the diffuser was torn into several parts. No wonder in an accident with 35g. We basically started from scratch with it car,” explained chief mechanic Matthew Scott to “Sport Bild”. “The crash is one of the top 4 biggest I’ve seen in motorsport.”
Overall, his department invested “well over 100 hours” in repairing Schumacher’s car, said the 41-year-old.
“We already disassembled it in Saudi Arabia and found that most of the parts were junk. It took about 20 hours,” said Scott.
Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 car “70 percent” ready for the bin
The “main task” then took place in Haas’ factory in Banbury, England. There, the mechanics had to figure out “what we can and can’t reuse,” Scott said. “For this we use X-rays and ultrasound, among other things. We also use fluorescent paint to see whether liquid is leaking somewhere.”
However, the Haas mechanic gave the all-clear for the Australian Formula 1 GP next weekend: “We’re easily done by the first practice session. We mechanics flew to Australia on Sunday morning to prepare everything and work on the car.”
A Formula 1 car consists of “43,000 to 45,000 individual parts,” said Scott. “You have to work very cleanly and thoroughly.” Haas had to throw away “around 70 percent” of Schumacher’s car after the heavy impact.
Mick Schumacher’s accident also a “chance” for Haas
According to Scott, the 23-year-old son of record world champion Michael Schumacher apologized for his accident, “but he didn’t have to do that. We are a team and we know that he didn’t do it on purpose. In formula 1 you have to push and go to the limit. He was on his fast lap to reach the last qualifying session. It’s normal that sometimes an accident happens and we have to check every part”.
Schumacher’s crash and its consequences are also an “opportunity” for Haas, Scott explained. “We can see where we can perhaps do without weight without reducing safety. The lighter, the faster. And that’s what Formula 1 is all about.”