Mick Schumacher cannot escape the headlines in Formula 1 reports. Indeed the latest news for the Haas driver was not pleasant. The situation is, again and again, the same; accidents and a long points streak that amounts to zero. There was a hail of criticism, most notably from his own team boss, Gunther Steiner. Now Schumacher himself is taking a stand.

Is team boss Günther Steiner putting too much pressure on his protégé? It might be fair to say that the answer is yes. Certainly, the pressure on Mick Schumacher is great. German F1 fans still have hopes that he will finally score his first World Championship points, a feat that is a far cry from the expectation of a son of a record breaking F1 driver. After his decent rookie season, these high expectations have now failed to materialise. Instead, his crashes in Jeddah and Monte Carlo caused criticism. He also failed to score any points in Baku, although that was admittedly from an unreliable car.

Some critics believe that Günther Steiner is partly to blame for the fact that things are currently going the way they are for the 23-year-old. The accusation is that the team boss also exerts too much pressure on the young athlete, in addition to all the expectations from outside. There is a lack of support for his protégé some say…

Mick’s uncle and former racing driver Ralf Schumacher recently described Steiner:

“Steiner’s manner makes it difficult for the drivers. He has an extremely authoritarian style of leadership, which I remember from my active Formula 1 days. But it’s no longer in keeping with the times.”

Steiner expressed surprise at these accusations:

“Why shouldn’t I support Mick? He is part of the team. That doesn’t make any sense.”

It goes without saying, he said, that he would like to see a successful Mick. The team boss also criticised the negative reporting to “auto motor und sport”:

“Now it has been blown up big time that we are supposedly not talking to each other. In the meantime, we just laugh about it. Apparently everyone knows better than we do.”

Instead, the Haas boss appears to show understanding: “It’s not an easy situation for him. After the Monte Carlo crash came the races in Baku and Montreal, the best thing he can do in these races is not to do any more damage.”

Günther is optimistic: “I hope that he will then come back strong on the tracks that offer a bit more space when looking for the limits.”

Mick Schumacher also refutes these accusations: “The only pressure I have to endure I put on myself.”

The driver also tried to dampen the criticism of the lack of support: “I know that the team supports me completely. We grow even closer together through situations like this.”

Contrary to the accusations, Schumacher had always felt supported by Steiner. “He pushes me every time. And that’s also what I want from a team boss.”

“I even enjoy this situation in a way,” the Formula One professional reveals. Instead of letting it get him down, he is optimistic:

“I’ve had to deal with that before. And in the end, it usually turned out successfully.”