Sakhir (dpa) – Mick Schumacher’s Haas team can only start the Formula 1 test drives in Bahrain late. The US racing team announced on Wednesday that the freight had only arrived at the track the night before.
“This delay will affect our program,” Haas said. The aim is that the previous substitute driver Pietro Fittipaldi will steer the VF-22 for the second unit on Thursday afternoon.
After the separation from the Russian pilot Nikita Masepin, the grandson of the two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi is an option for the second regular Haas cockpit alongside Schumacher. Nico Hülkenberg, who is primarily a substitute driver for Aston Martin, is also mentioned again and again.
According to information from the Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet, former Haas driver Kevin Magnussen is also on the list of candidates. According to owner Gene Haas, the racing team is examining “several candidates” for the regular place and is looking for a driver with experience.
The team announced their separation from 23-year-old Masepin and Russian title sponsor Uralkali after the Russian attack on Ukraine on Saturday. Masepin’s father, Dmitri, is a co-owner of the Russian mining company.