Column | Haas' high hopes from Magnussen/Schumacher lineup

The recently changed lineup for the Haas F1 team has resulted in excitement all through the racing world. The blend of old vs new and young vs experienced provides the American team with a new and energising prospect. We take a look as to how this lineup came to be and what both driver & team will be hoping for their collective futures in F1.

Backstory

The recent invasion of Ukraine and the war has sparked global outrage directed towards the Russian aggressors, with the political hierarchy in the latter nation specifically under criticism. Due to the nature of government set-up, the highest-earning individuals and families are close to the Kremlin and provide partial economic advisory duties.

The economic relationship between the Mazepin family and the political hierarchy has resulted in concern throughout the racing world. The collapse of the Russian Ruble would have also resulted in lower long term financing ability from Haas’ then title sponsor, Uralkali (owned by father Dmitry Mazepin). Thus, even though Russian drivers were given special provisions to compete (but not under their flag), Nikita Mazepin would still find his contract with the team terminated. With a subsequent addition on the EU’s blacklist for both father & son, their positions within the team would have become untenable sooner, rather than later anyway.

The new lineup

As such, Kevin Magnussen has received the call up to rejoin the team where he has spent the majority of his F1 career. The Dane has eagerly accepted the opportunity to reignite his career & love for Formula One. The efforts of the American outfit to maximise their chances for the 2022 season, this provided new hope for the 29-year-old, as he hopes to bed in and pushes the team as far up as possible.

Things may differ slightly, however. Mick has a slight bit more experience in the car, having driven it in Barcelona for pre-season testing. While it doesn’t result in it a significant gulf of knowledge between the two drivers, the extra hours behind the wheel will still require Schumacher to relay information back to the team to help Magnussen bed in faster.

Expectations

For this year, Haas would be hoping that they can strike a unique balance between the two drivers. It presents an opportunity that they have never really experienced as a team. With Magnussen as the older and more experienced, he will be able to provide advice to his younger teammate. This guidance will help shape and grow the young German to fit better within the team and extract extra performance from the car with crucial setup gains.

The new regulations allow both to work closely together to grapple with their car and build their understanding as a whole. The blank sheet acts as a new reference point to help grow their knowledge, while also pushing each other for on-track performance. As Schumacher is tied to the Ferrari family, who have their seats well-secured by Carlos Sainz & Charles Leclerc, the expectation is that the young German will be with the Haas team for the long term. With Magnussen not likely to jump ship either, the team would be hoping that they struck a long-term, high-performing lineup.