The most exciting still open Formula 1 question has been clarified: Haas team boss Günther Steiner confirms in Sao Paulo that the decision as to which driver will be Kevin Magnussen’s teammate in 2023 has already been made behind the scenes. It should be announced next week.
There are growing signs that Mick Schumacher’s time as a regular driver in Formula 1 is over for the time being at the end of the season. Haas team boss Günther Steiner confirmed reports in Sao Paulo that the US racing team had already decided who would get the cockpit next to Kevin Magnussen in 2023. When asked whether his driver was in the picture, Steiner gave a clear indication. Steiner confessed that Haas had already decided the consuming driver question “in the last few days”. “Now we are still working on a few details and then we will announce it.” This should happen “next week”.
According to RTL/ntv information, the details that still need to be clarified are about the duration of the contract and the salary that is being negotiated. When asked if his driver was aware of the decision, Steiner replied: “Our driver doesn’t know, I’ll talk to him about what we’re doing.” An indication that Schumacher is no longer talking about things like contract terms and salary, which the 23-year-old should rather expect the bitter news of his departure from Haas.
In the sprint race in Brazil, Schumacher once again showed what he is capable of in the cockpit. Starting last, he made up eight positions, more than any other driver in the field. He took 12th place and thus a decent starting position for the race. “I had a good first lap, that helped,” he told Sky, “but then early in the race I felt something was wrong with the engine. So we worked a lot on it, it was a bit wild. If anything would have gone perfectly if there had been two more places.” Team-mate Magnussen im Haas, who surprisingly took pole position on Friday, had a difficult time as expected, but he still saved an important point for his team by finishing eighth.
So there is a lot to be said for a Formula 1 comeback by Nico Hülkenberg. The 35-year-old has been a hot candidate for the Haas seat for weeks. In an interview with RTL/ntv, Steiner repeatedly confirmed a hot line to Hülkenberg. If Schumacher does not get a new contract with Haas, he only has a mini chance of a regular cockpit in 2023. Logan Sargeant, who was set at Williams, still has to score the necessary points for the F1 super license at the Formula 2 final in Abu Dhabi. It’s actually a formality, but if the American doesn’t make it, it would open a door for Schumacher in the traditional British team. Williams boss Jost Capito had already described Schumacher as a “charming” option in an RTL/ntv interview at the beginning of October.
