The words of Haas team boss Günther Steiner after Mick Schumacher’s crash on lap 27 of the Monaco Grand Prix are profound: “It’s not very satisfying to have another big accident. We have to see how we continue from here.”
It can no longer be argued away: the accumulation of accidents in the 2022 season endangers Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career. As the only pilot next to Williams pay driver Nicholas Latifi, the German is still without a point.
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Even worse: The Haas pilot’s season so far has been paved with bankruptcies, bad luck and breakdowns. The list is long. Too long.
At the season opener in Bahrain, Schumacher was involved in a collision at the start and spun, missing out on the points in the end. He doesn’t drive at all in the second race in Saudi Arabia: After a serious accident in qualifying, the German misses the Grand Prix on Sunday and his car is ready for scrap.
Mick Schumacher had already had a serious accident in Saudi Arabia.
Schumi jr survives the Australian GP. Although without a major accident, several rides in the race ruined the chance for points again. He was also lucky when behind the safety car he missed the rear of AlphaTauri pilot Yuki Tsunoda by a hair’s breadth.
In Imola, the German made two mistakes: at the start he spun in Fernando Alonso, later in the race he also spun off the track in the chicane and was only penultimate. At the F1 premiere in Miami, the Haas driver finally shows his best performance of the season – at least until shortly before the end: In the fight for the last points, Schumacher collides with his buddy Sebastian Vettel, of all people, and everything is gone again.
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At the Grand Prix in Barcelona, the Haas driver was able to surprise positively, at least in qualifying, celebrating his first entry into the third qualifying section. In the race, however, a bad strategy only goes backwards, so the 23-year-old cannot take any World Championship points with him at the finish line – just like after the crash on Sunday in Monte Carlo.
The result: the pressure on the Schumi son is growing. Haas team boss Günther Steiner had already demanded results before the race in Monaco: “Otherwise the season will be over at some point and we’ll be waiting for the 24th GP.” Above all, the high bills caused by the German with his many accidents are increasingly a thorn in the side of the South Tyrolean.
“Losing the points is one thing for the team,” says ex-driver Alexander Wurz, “but when it comes to the car, it’s always a lot of money.”
In Formula 1, however, the following also applies: You are always as good as your last race. That means: A score with points would quickly silence all critics.
Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost jumps to Schumacher’s side.
Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost, who once looked after Ralf Schumacher and is now making Formula 1 stars out of juniors at Red Bull, is also why Schumacher jumps to the side: “You shouldn’t write Mick off too quickly,” says the Austrian to F1 insiders .com “I keep believing in him. Don’t forget that Mick won Formula 3 and Formula 2. This doesn’t happen by accident. Maybe Mick just needs a little more time. You should give him that, it’s only his second Formula 1 season and we have completely new cars that are difficult to drive.”
This fits in well: it has always taken Schumacher two years to achieve top performance in new racing cars. “He’s a learner,” says ex-Mercedes sports director Norbert Haug. “And he’s just trying to get everything out of the car. If you turn in a few centimeters too early, it can have serious consequences. Nevertheless, the team should stand by him now. If he can untie the knot in his system, he will also score points.”
Formula 1 can be brutal in such situations. Schumacher junior must not let the critics unsettle him now. “The season is still long, the tide can turn again very quickly,” he knows himself. “I’ve shown that before and I can show that again this year.”
He gets the absolution from his mentor Sebastian Vettel: “I have no doubt that Mick can do more than he is currently showing. But I think you (the media; ed.) need to leave him alone for a bit.” Only: It is doubtful whether team manager Steiner will follow the well-intentioned advice of the four-time world champion.
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