Why Schumacher should not leave Haas after one bad season

For Mick Schumacher it is not the debut season he had hoped for. The 2021 Haas F1 car has not been further developed and is therefore far too slow. Despite his only real on-track battles being with teammate Nikita Mazepin, he's in the right place with the American team.

Halfway through Schumacher's first season, rumours are already circulating that he could be driving for Alfa Romeo from 2022, but that would not be a good move for the German. Schumacher needs to keep his cool and would be best off staying with Haas for his first few seasons in F1. At Haas, Schumacher gets all the time he needs to get used to Formula 1 and everything that the circus entails.

Schumacher developing the 2022 car

While Haas is taking it easy on the 2021 car, the team has already shifted its focus to the 2022 car. A car that Schumacher, together with Mazepin, is developing. They are the drivers who have to give all the tips and improvements to their engineers so that the car is tuned to their driving style. Because the team is working so hard on next season's car it could also make a big step up from other teams. It's only been a few years since the team was able to consistently fight for points and the team is determined to get back to that level.

Schumacher is currently wiping the floor with teammate Mazepin. The only qualifying sessions Mazepin 'won' were won because Schumacher was unable to qualify due to damage to his car. Also in the races, it hardly happens that Mazepin finishes ahead of Schumacher. Next year there should be a much more competitive car, so Schumacher doesn't only have to fight against his Russian teammate, but can also show what he can do against midfield cars.

Hundreds of new faces after one season is not a good plan

Should Schumacher switch to Alfa Romeo, for example, he would be driving a car developed by Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi, both of whom may not even be driving in 2022.

In addition, Schumacher is just getting used to his team, Haas F1. Changing teams after your first year so that you immediately have to get to know a lot of new faces and the way the team works is not a wise idea. He would have to start from scratch.

Take an example from Russell

For Schumacher it is not pleasant at the moment in Formula 1, the Haas VF-21 is anything but competitive. But what the 22-year-old German can do is take an example from George Russell. In 2019, Russell was in a similar, perhaps even worse, situation. The Williams that Russell debuted with was not progressing, but it gave the Brit a chance to learn the ropes of Formula One and get used to his team.

Two and a half seasons later Russell knows exactly what he can and cannot do with the Williams. And although it's not a great car yet, he is regularly able to rise above himself and the car with great performances in qualifying and races. If Schumacher stays with Haas for a longer period and he learns to fully understand the Haas car, the German could become the new surprise, as Russell often is now.