Schumacher warns nephew Mick about Mazepin: "Anything but easy"

One of the most interesting driver duos in Formula 1 is likely to be at the back of the grid in 2021. Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin both make their debut in a car where not much is expected, but especially for Schumacher the stakes are high.

The two youngsters at Haas could not have been welcomed into Formula 1 in a more diverse way. While Mick, as the son of a racing legend with a tragic story, gets a lot of love and praise, Mazepin is despised by fans and journalists for his behaviour.

Mazepin has talent and excellent preparation

Mazepin doesn't have a great reputation on the track either, but still Ralf Schumacher thinks his nephew should watch out. "Mazepin, apart from the great support from his father, also has the necessary talent and a very good preparation. It is anything but easy to tame him in this team," Uncle Ralf told Sky.

Given the many private tests Mazepin has done over the years, the Russian has indeed gained at least as much F1 experience as Schumacher did in the Ferrari Driver Academy. What's more, Mazepin has nothing to lose, while Schumacher's reputation will suffer considerably if he doesn't win this fight.