Thursday, September 23, 2021
Ferrari has big promises
It’s getting serious for Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher will also contest his second season in Formula 1 for the US racing team Haas. In the car, which has been so weak so far, things should finally go a lot further in 2022. This is also important, because after that the next step in your career could come.
Ferrari? This topic remains visible, somewhere on the horizon – but “it’s still a long way off,” says Mick Schumacher. Because now the near future has been clarified. The German will also contest his second year in Formula 1 for the US racing team Haas, i.e. for the team that is currently reliably at the bottom of the field. But everything should be different in 2022. “We want to be in the midfield consistently,” says Schumacher. Such a leap in performance could be possible for two main reasons: In the new season there are fundamentally new regulations with completely changed cars, so the cards are being reshuffled. And Haas is consciously accepting a low this year in order to prepare for the next season.
“We have put all the money we have saved this year into the next”, explains Schumacher, “I hope that this gives us a small lead over our direct competition right from the start.” And so the second season in the premier class could be the first real racing season for Schumacher – duels with other teams, chances of success on their own. A trump card could be that the cooperation with Ferrari will be intensified in the future: Under the new budget cap, Scuderia has to get rid of employees, but does not put them on the street, but sends them to Haas. A small headquarters for the US racing team is to be established near the plant in Maranello, and this know-how benefits them.
Very good foundation – nothing more
“With the new regulations, our ambitions and the support from Ferrari, I naturally believe that we will move closer to the field,” said Schumacher. In the first year a “very good foundation” had been built, and this should now be used. Schumacher’s personality is also part of the collaboration between Ferrari and Haas, he has been sponsored by the Italians since 2019, and he continues his training with the small team. And only drivers who are trusted to drive for Ferrari at some point can benefit from this training. Team boss Mattia Binotto made this clear again and again.
For his next steps, Schumacher should indeed hope for a stronger car. After all, anyone who wants to advance has to be able to offer themselves. This is hardly possible at the moment, even on Sunday (2 p.m. in the live ticker at ntv.de) at the Russian Grand Prix you can hardly calculate anything at Haas.
Schumacher’s collaboration with Nikita Mazepin is also going into another year, with the Russian also confirmed for 2022 on Thursday. The decision was awaited with interest, because the team duel has not been without conflicts so far. Even though both drivers are not competing for championship points, they kept getting in each other’s way on the track. The sometimes over-tough duels caused great displeasure on both sides – but Schumacher was now trying to make the matter less explosive. “That gets boiled up,” he said, “in the end it’s racing. As long as we work together properly, the team benefits. And that’s how it is at the moment.”