Formula 1: “Not satisfactory”, Guenther Steiner frustrated with Mick Schumacher’s performances
Guenther Steiner has given Mick Schumacher his first warning at Haas after the German driver suffered another huge crash at the Monaco Grand Prix. Mick is still pointless in his F1 career, and the team boss' patience seems to be wearing thin with every race.
Moments after Kevin Magnussen retired due to an engine failure, his teammate spun at the swimming pool chicane and crashed hard into the barrier. The car was split into two, giving the American team a huge repair bill. The Haas driver claimed the reason for the crash was because he went just 10cm off-line.
Speaking after the race, team principal Guenther Steiner said: “With Mick, we obviously saw what happened. It’s not very satisfactory having a big crash again. We need to see how we move forward from here.”
This is not the first time that Schumacher has crashed this season. He collided with a concrete barrier in qualifying of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which meant he missed the race on Sunday. Three races later at the Miami Grand Prix, the 23-year-old crashed late in the race while going wheel-to-wheel with fellow German driver Sebastian Vettel.
With the cost caps introduced under the new regulations this year, Schumacher has already cost his team close to $1 million in repairs for his crash in Jeddah. At Monte Carlo, it seems like his huge crash will again warrant close to $1 million in repairs. This is Schumacher's 6th big crash in 29 races in Formula 1, with the German also crashing at Monaco and Jeddah in 2021 as well.
While he has struggled, his new teammate Kevin Magnussen has excelled in his return to Formula 1, picking up 15 points. The Dane replaced Russian driver Nikita Mazepin at the start of the season and has fitted seamlessly at Haas, finishing 5th in Bahrain with a further two points finishes. His performances have proved that the VF-22 has the capability to score points regularly, which has further increased the pressure on the German.
After joining the Haas team in 2021, Mick's competitor on track was just his teammate, with a back-of-the-grid car. Schumacher continuously out-qualified his teammate last year, but with a better car and a better teammate this year, the 23-year-old is struggling. He has now entered an unwanted top 10 list of drivers with the most Grand Prix starts without a point, 26.
After the race in Miami, Steiner once again expressed his disappointment towards Schumacher. He told Sport Bild: “Not getting any points so close to the end, that creates pressure.”
The Haas boss believes that Mick needs time to adjust to his new environment in midfield, after finishing in the bottom two for most of last season.
“The circumstances have changed due to the competitiveness with this car,” the Italian continued. “It’s a different level where he has to compete. You have to get used to that first.”
“You don’t have forever in Formula 1,” he added. “There is a queue of drivers who want to drive there. I am sure he is aware nobody is waiting for him. He’s working very hard at it, but it’s very difficult. This formula is not an easy business.”