Haas critical of crashing Schumacher: 'Can only happen if you are Verstappen'

Mick Schumacher's Formula 1 future is at stake. The German is under pressure at Haas and team owner Gené Haas has spoken out in America about his driver's many crashes. Nevertheless, Mick still has a chance to keep his seat.

Schumacher's future

The Formula 1 grid for 2023 is virtually complete. Only at Haas and Williams are one more spot to be given away. At Haas, Kevin Magnussen is already under contract, but Mick is not yet sure of his future. Nico Hulkenberg and Antonio Giovinazzi are also being linked with the seat at the American racing stable, but the team owner argues that Mick has his future in his own hands.

''We need Mick to bring some points and we’re trying to give him as much time as possible to see what he can do. If he wants to stay with us, he’s got to show us that he can score some more points. That’s what we are waiting for,'' Haas spoke plainly to The Associated Press. Schumacher scored points twice this year. He finished eighth in Britain and sixth in Austria. He thus scored 12 points, which is almost half of Magnussen's 22 points. The Dane has already scored points during five race weekends.

Firm criticism of crashing Schumacher

Schumacher's biggest pain point, however, is his crashes. Schumacher already caused a lot of damage to his car this year and the associated costs. In Japan, for instance, he still folded his VF-22 at the end of the first free practice session when he drove back to the pits after a test start.

''In this sport, being kind of a rookie driver, the sport just doesn’t allow it — it’s just too expensive. If you make any mistakes in driver selection, or strategy, or tire selection, it is costing you millions of dollars. I think Mick has got a lot of potential, but you know he costs a fortune and he’s wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don’t have. Now, if you bring us some points, and you are (Max) Verstappen and you wreck cars, we’ll deal with it. But when you are in the back and you wreck cars, that’s very difficult.''

Who will get the seat at Haas?

Schumacher does have his future in his own hands, according to Haas. He still has four races to prove himself in 2022, but it is questionable whether Haas wants to wait that long to make an announcement. ''Well, if he wins the next one, he’s in. Somewhere in between there is a gray area,'' Haas is holding back.

Haas does hold a press conference in America as a team, but several sources already reported that this would not be an announcement of a new driver. Antonio Giovinazzi will, however, be in action for Haas in America. The Italian was previously allowed to drive a first free practice session in Italy and now in America as a favouritism to Ferrari. Indeed, the Italian racing stable wants to introduce its pupil to the new generations of F1 cars in order to improve his work as a simulator driver.