The talent Mick Schumacher has to make way for the noble reservist Nico Hülkenberg in Formula 1. The future of the German lies with Mercedes and Audi. Also thanks to family ties.
Mick Schumacher has to leave the Haas racing team – but the fighting spirit is unbroken.
Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel had just completed the lap of honor before the race through the Interlagos Autodromo, the reporter from Brazilian television ran excitedly after the two German racing drivers and called out: “Hey, you two, don’t leave us. . .» The wish died away, and the farewell extends to the Formula 1 season that ends this Sunday.
Vettel’s resignation after the final in Abu Dhabi was known. What is new is that Schumacher junior’s contract with the Haas racing team will not be extended. The German noble reservist Nico Hülkenberg was appointed as his successor. The 35-year-old, who has never made it onto the podium in 181 races, last contested a full season for Renault in 2019. It is at least an unusual driver swap.
The son of record world champion Michael Schumacher only has a vague chance of a regular cockpit if the American Logan Sargeant does not score enough points in Formula 2 for a super license. Schumacher’s career will not end even if he cannot switch to Williams. Its future lies with German engine manufacturers in the short and long term.
Mercedes could nominate the 23-year-old as a reserve driver for the near future, and Audi’s entry with a factory team stationed in Hinwil for 2026 and with a development phase starting much earlier is on the horizon. Unlike the former zampano Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula 1 management does not see the name Schumacher as a burden, but as an opportunity.
Schumacher’s commitment to Haas turns out to be a big misunderstanding
Ferrari had negotiated a two-year training period at Haas for its junior squad member Schumacher, but this idea quickly turned out to be a misunderstanding. With a year-old car and unpredictable Russian teammate Nikita Mazepin, the rookie lost a full year. He had hoped in vain to be sent to Hinwil for training at Alfa Romeo.
After an early high, things went steadily downhill for the US racing team this season. The team of industrialist Gene Haas operates with a minimal team, buys cheaply from Ferrari and does not have the capacity and the will to train young drivers. With that, Schumacher was doomed to success – or to failure.
Several severe accidents, for which the owner Haas personally blamed the German, sealed his fate. In the wrong place at the wrong time, that was true in many races in which Schumacher was a victim of technical and strategic errors, as well as in general. It wasn’t a lack of confidence, it was a lack of trust from the team. The delaying tactics in terms of contract speaks volumes.
Mick Schumacher didn’t get along with the rough nature of the telegenic team boss Günther Steiner either, and he must have felt for a long time that he was not welcome at Haas – unlike the returnee Kevin Magnussen. The experienced Dane is just as clearly ahead after 21 races with 25:12 points as he was in the qualifying duel with 16:5. In the end, everything boils down to the results.
He made a good face for the bad game
Loyalty and the lack of his own results forced Mick Schumacher to put on a good face to the bad game. A vicious circle from which he is now trying to break free with a statement white on black. “It was bumpy at times, but I’ve steadily improved, learned a lot and now I know for sure that I deserve a place in Formula 1,” he wrote on his Instagram account. And: «For me, the topic is anything but closed. When things got difficult, I realized how much I love this sport. Setbacks only make you stronger.”
In a few hours he got more than half a million likes, including some racers. The signs are pointing to a comeback, which he himself assured: “My fire burns for Formula 1 and I will fight hard to get back on the grid.” Mick Schumacher sometimes seems almost too nice due to his binding nature, but he is tough. Giving up isn’t in his family’s genes. School at Haas must have made him tougher, the racing team often stood up to him and rarely behind him.
The connection to Ferrari will be broken, switching to Mercedes would be a good option, not only because he was already driving in the junior classes with Stuttgart engines. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff made it clear last weekend: “It’s no secret that the Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes and that we appreciate Mick and his personality very much.”
How talented is Mick Schumacher really? The question remains unanswered after the Haas interlude.
Also with the Alpine team, where he had hoped in vain for a permanent driver contract, the reserve role is still to be filled. Mick Schumacher is one of a particularly strong generation of youngsters in Formula 1, the competition is fierce and, like Max Verstappen or Charles Leclerc, was able to take advantage of their chance immediately. It can generally be deduced from this that there is currently hardly any cautious build-up of drivers.
It is not yet possible to conclusively assess how great Schumacher’s talent is. Of course, he gets a lot of attention, the former Formula 2 champion can only free himself from this dilemma through performance.
Nico Hulkenberg changes sides
Getting back into Formula 1 from outside is more possible than it used to be, as Mick Schumacher’s successor has just proved. Nico Hülkenberg, who came to Aston Martin in spring as a reserve driver for two missions for the sick Sebastian Vettel, recently hired himself as a commentator on the Austrian broadcaster Servus-TV. Haas is hoping for more consistent results from the routine of the former Sauber driver.
Team boss Steiner praises him as “solid and reliable”. Hülkenberg will be in the cockpit during test drives in Abu Dhabi next week: “I have the feeling that I never really left Formula 1. I’m thrilled to be able to do what I love most again.” This coincides with Mick Schumacher’s ambitions for his own plan B.