Mick Schumacher’s retirement from Formula 1 and Haas is a done deal. According to rumours, the US racing team will officially announce the decision before the season finale in Abu Dhabi and Nico Hülkenberg is to succeed him.

But why wasn’t it enough for Mick Schumacher in the end? TJ13 delves into the five main reasons why Mick Schumacher has been forcibly retired from F1.

 

 

 

Reason 1: Schumacher cost Haas millions

In his first two seasons, the son of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher has already caused several serious accidents and thus incurred immense costs.

At the beginning of the season, he completely wrecked his car in Saudi Arabia and in Monaco. Total loss amounting to several million euros.

This is a big problem for the team, which is not financially well off. Since his debut in Formula 1, no driver has caused more damage than Mick Schumacher. At least not in financial terms.

The 23-year-old is said to have cost the team a total of around three million euros. It didn’t help that the German brought lucrative sponsors with him in the form of “1&1” and “Home Deluxe”.

All in all, the relationship between the expenses of the racing team and the “name” Schumacher was simply not right.

 

 

 

Reason 2: First Formula 1 season wasted

Should Mick Schumacher’s second season in Formula 1 actually be considered his first? There are definitely arguments for it.

In his debut year, he actually only ever drove against himself in an uncompetitive car. Because he didn’t have a team-mate to work against, in Nikita Mazepin.

Without any real pressure and the prospect of scoring points, the German’s first season can confidently be described as “wasted”.

At the beginning of his second year, it became clear what his first could have been like. Against an experienced driver – like Kevin Magnussen – the 23-year-old suffered several defeats and produced mistakes under the increasing pressure (Saudi Arabia and Monaco).

In the course of the season, however, Schumacher stabilised, scored his first points and was able to beat his team-mate again and again.

 

 

Reason 3: Media hype

Media hype around Mick disturbed Haas team boss Günther Steiner. But did Mick Schumacher really have a fair chance in the current season? His uncle Ralf Schumacher has already pinpointed the culprit for his nephew’s retirement: team boss Günther Steiner.

“With normal standards, the whole behaviour cannot be explained, it almost has to be something personal. I don’t think Günther Steiner can cope with someone else from the team having the focus on him. He very much likes to be the one in the foreground,” the pundit told Sky Germany.

During the season, Steiner had repeatedly made confusing statements in interviews. While he backed Mick Schumacher on one race weekend and tried to take the pressure off him, he strongly criticised him a week later and demanded points in races where the car was not able to advance into the top-10.

Steiner also boycotted interviews with Sky after Ralf Schumacher repeatedly made critical comments about the Haas team boss. It is possible that this hype was ultimately a point for Mick’s exit from Haas.

 

 

Reason 4: More experienced team mates

Mick Schumacher’s exit opens the door for Nico Hülkenberg. The German, who last had a permanent seat in F1 in 2019, is expected to take over the vacant cockpit at Haas.

With the experience of a total of 181 races, he should deliver more consistent results than Mick Schumacher. But whether he can really finish in the points again and again will only become clear next year and is also only possible if the team continues to develop the car.

In 2020 and 2021, the 35-year-old was convincing in appearances as a reserve driver. In 2020, he stood in for Sergio Pérez, who was ill with COVID, in both Silverstone races at Aston Martin, which was then still called Racing Point, and drove straight to third place in his second qualifying session. He then finished the race in a strong seventh place.

 

At the beginning of this season, he replaced Sebastian Vettel at the British racing team because the latter missed the first two races due to COVID. Especially in Saudi Arabia, Hülkenberg provided good arguments for a return to Formula 1 with a twelfth place in a poor Aston Martin car.

Kevin Magnussen, who only made his comeback shortly before the start of the season because Nikita Mazepin had been dismissed in the wake of the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, quickly showed all his routine at Haas. In his first four races he finished in the points three times and quickly had the upper hand over Mick Schumacher.

However, the Dane could not maintain his form for long and, with the exception of his fabulous pole position in Brazil, disappointed more and more often. Nevertheless, the Magnussen/Hülkenberg pairing should provide more consistency and thus more points for Haas in the coming season.

 

 

Reason 5: Schumacher was too inconsistent

In the end, this could have been the decisive reason for Mick Schumacher’s retirement. Although the German finally showed this year that he definitely has what it takes to compete in Formula 1, he delivered these performances too rarely.

After accidents in Saudi Arabia and Monaco, the 23-year-old followed up with good performances in Canada, Silverstone and Austria, and scored his first points in England.

At this point, the contract extension seemed to be secured. Since the race in Styria, however, Schumacher has been waiting for more world championship points.

However, it was not always the former Formula 2 champion’s own fault. Several times he was let down by the team, which decided on the wrong strategy or made a mistake during the pit stop.

 

Haas was aware from the start that Schumacher did not have the natural talent of Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, George Russell or Carles Leclerc. Within the team, however, they had probably expected a better development.

In terms of external presentation, too, they probably hoped for more added value. Mick Schumacher, who has been media-trained for years, is not the type of driver “with rough edges” – like a young Max Verstappen, for example.

Nevertheless, there is a good chance that Schumacher will be allowed to make another attempt in the pinnacle of motorsport in the future. A place as a replacement driver at Mercedes is being discussed.

The entry of the German car manufacturer Audi, which will be the new title sponsor of the current Alfa Romeo team from 2024 and would like to have a German driver in the line-up, might also be a possibility for the 23-year-old.