Thursday, May 20, 2021
For the first time with Formula 1 in Monaco
Schumacher only has to solve one problem
At the Monaco Grand Prix there is not only proverbial, but actually no room for mistakes. For Formula 1 rookie Mick Schumacher, Haas team boss Günther Steiner therefore has one task above all else. Ralf Schumacher even believes his nephew will have a surprise.
The contract for Mick Schumacher on his Formula 1 debut in Monaco sounds simple. “Stay away from the walls and barriers”, that’s all Haas team boss Günther Steiner demands. But that’s not so easy at the most glamorous race of the year: 78 laps each with 18 corners, guard rails instead of run-off zones, there is no room for mistakes. For Schumacher, his fifth Grand Prix will be on Sunday (3 p.m. / Sky and in the live ticker at ntv.de) for the final examination.
“Mentally it’s super hard, but it’s a challenge. That’s why it’s so much fun to go on such a track,” said Schumacher, whose father Michael was able to triumph five times in the maze of corners. But even the record world champion from Kerpen got to know the guard rails. All or nothing – in the casino town on the Côte d’Azur this is even more true than elsewhere in Formula 1. Every driving mistake, no matter how small, can become a huge problem.
Mick Schumacher’s uncle Ralf, whose best Monaco result was a third place in 2002, prophesied his 22-year-old nephew a “ride on the cannonball”. Because the Haas has a particularly nervous tail, according to Sky expert Schumacher, it is crucial that “Mick goes cautiously into the weekend and does not have an accident. This solution sounds as simple as it is demanding. But:” If he keeps his style and steadily improves , I even think he will be a surprise. “
There have always been surprises and even sensations on the most selective track on the racing calendar. In 1996, for example, the Frenchman Olivier Panis won his first and only Grand Prix in the Ligier – also because only four cars crossed the finish line. The legendary Ayrton Senna, with six successes the record winner in the Principality, sniffed the triumph as a rookie in the defeated Toleman in 1984. But it was also Senna who literally drove around the competition in the McLaren in 1988, continued to accelerate despite a lead of 50 seconds and finally ended up in the lane.
Vettel’s one-time series of negatives
A lot has to come together for Schumacher in order to move a little forward in the worst car in the field. Overtaking in the race is actually impossible; a courageous strategy during the safety car phases that are quite possible could be an opportunity.
Steiner attested “huge progress” to his model student, but at the same time took the pressure off Schumacher, who has only known the course from Formula 2 so far. “We know about our capabilities,” said the South Tyrolean: “Our drivers should view the race as an experience so that when they come back with a better car, they have learned how to deal with Monaco.”
Sebastian Vettel is starting in the street canyons for the 13th time. The Heppenheimer won the classic twice, but his points account for the new employer Aston Martin is still empty after four races. Across the seasons, the four-time world champion has not even scored in seven races, a one-time negative series in the 33-year-old’s great career.
“As for Vettel in Monaco: You can make a difference as a driver on this course,” said Ralf Schumacher: “However, that’s a fine line, because in a less optimal car you have to risk more.”
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