Mazepin in 'shock' after difficult debut: "His confidence got knocked"

Günther Steiner has been arguing with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen in recent years, but with two Rookies behind the wheel in 2021, the question is which approach is best?

Everyone was a bit surprised that Haas chose to have two Rookies at the start of the 2021 season. A unique situation for an F1 team, especially one that has decided to leave 2021 behind and focus entirely on 2022. Steiner is therefore working with his current drivers in a different way.

''The biggest challenge is to give them the confidence. You come into Formula 1 as a 21 or 22-year-old and the pressure is on right away. That is not easy. They are very tricky to drive these cars. They just need to focus and work hard," Steiner says in the podcast In the Fast Lane.

Steiner is very fond of Mick Schumacher in that respect. "He's very humble. He knows he has a lot to learn and works hard for it. He gives himself time but is also very self-critical when he makes a mistake. He knows what he's doing," said the Haas team boss. Nikita Mazepin has come under slightly more fire after several spins in his first F1 weekends, but Steiner is also confident in the Russian.

"His confidence got knocked when he came in. They were difficult conditions in Bahrain, and those few spins did make him uncertain. However, he is getting better at it and made a big step forward in Imola. He will get there, but it was a shock for him that first weekend," Steiner concludes.