Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko believes the Haas team should part ways with Mick Schumacher at the end of this season and reveals who the replacement should be. Team boss Gunther Steiner says the driver to work alongside Kevin Magnussen will be announced before the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Mick Schumacher’s contract expires at the end of the 2022 season, and so far the American team has refused to say which driver will be alongside Kevin Magnussen in F1 next year. The Haas boss has put pressure on Schumacher for the final four races of the year by asking him to score points to ensure he retains his seat.
Many believe that Schumacher will not be able to keep his seat in Formula One next year and that the young German will be replaced by a more experienced driver capable of scoring points more regularly, a view also held by Helmut Marko.
Red Bull’s Helmut Marko reveals Schumacher replacement
“The situation at Haas is that they have an experienced driver with Magnussen, and if there was to be a great talent in the making, I would bet on him,” Marko tells RTL.de.
“From the team’s point of view, there is a lot of money at stake in the constructors’ world championship – whether you are eighth or tenth – there is X million dollars difference. So, I guess Haas will rely on a veteran.”
One of the leading candidates to succeed Schumacher at Haas appears to be Germany’s Nico Hülkenberg – who has also confirmed he is in talks with the American team, and Helmut Marko also believes Hülkenberg would be the ideal driver for Haas next year.
Nico Hülkenberg says he is “relatively optimistic” about his chances of returning to the F1 grid in 2023 as a regular driver, while the German is currently in advanced discussions with the Haas team who is set to remove Mick Schumacher.
Nico Hülkenberg to replace Mick Schumacher
“It would be a shame for Servus TV [for whom Hülkenberg works as a consultant during Grands Prix], but on the other hand, Hülkenberg has the talent and has already proved it: he jumped into the car as a reserve driver [at Aston Martin] without any test miles, so to speak, in cold water, and has always performed. That says a lot for him,” added Marko.
The driver, now aged 35, recently hinted that discussions with Haas were continuing at a pace, and that he was “optimistic” about his chances of securing the seat, although the final decision will obviously be made by the American team.
“At the end of the day it’s not my decision, it’s not my decision to make. There are still discussions, I’m relatively optimistic, but we’ll have to wait a little longer,” Hülkenberg told Servus TV.
Mick Schumacher future in F1?
Regarding Mick Schumacher’s future in F1, Helmut Marko sees the youngster taking a gap year in 2023 before returning to motorsport’s Formula 1 championship with Sauber, which will become Audi from 2026.
“That’s certainly a possibility. In 2024, there will be a few vacancies as contracts expire, including Sauber” insists Marko.
The German manufacturer will enter Formula 1 in 2026 in partnership with Sauber, which will become Audi’s full works team. But it is understood they will be providing support behind the scenes before then, with current partners Alfa Romeo leaving the sport at the end of next season.
Haas driver announcement by Brazil
Haas team manager Guenther Steiner told the media last weekend in Mexico City that a decision on Kevin Magnussen’s future teammate would be made before the Brazilian Grand Prix.
“For me it’s no longer about one race, one lap,” said Steiner,
“For me, it’s about what’s best for the Haas team in the medium to long term.
“But it’s not like we said ‘if Mick scores points now, he has the place or not’. The decisive factor is ‘who leads the team into the future with stability.”
MORE F1 NEWS: Horner calls for FIA investigation
