The regular Formula 1 cockpits for the 2023 season have been assigned, Mick Schumacher went away empty-handed. Despite this, the 23-year-old is not thinking of leaving the premier motorsport class. In retrospect, however, he recognizes what he did wrong with Haas.
After leaving Haas as a regular driver, Mick Schumacher is currently looking for a new team in Formula 1. For the 23-year-old it is clear that he has not yet been able to show everything he can do in the pinnacle of motorsport. “I definitely want to stay in Formula 1 and now I’m looking at the options that are out there. And hopefully I’ll pick the right one. I’d love to prove anyone who doesn’t believe in me wrong.” , said the son of record world champion Michael Schumacher in an interview with “auto motor und sport”.
Nevertheless, Schumacher also admitted mistakes with a view to the past season. Especially in the team-internal duel with Kevin Magnussen, he sometimes wanted too much and got lost with the setup. “He went into this season without great expectations. He had nothing to lose, but I did. Looking back, given the omens, my approach was probably wrong,” said Schumacher.
This is not the only reason why the 2020 Formula 2 champion is struggling with his departure from Haas. They didn’t have enough patience with him there, says Mick: “I know what I can do, I’ve proven it in the junior categories and I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to do it in Formula 1.”
He also has the feeling that he has developed further in his two years in Formula 1: “Formula 1 is a completely different caliber than all other racing categories that I have driven so far. I have made myself with every time, in felt more comfortable after I got into the car.”
However, this was not always visible to outsiders. “Teams develop in Formula 1, so it’s difficult to measure yourself. If another team improves and yours doesn’t, you feel like you’re going backwards, even if you’ve gotten better as a driver,” he said.
Recently there were increasing signs that Mick could join Mercedes as a test driver in the coming season. Team boss Toto Wolff recently confirmed that the Silver Arrows would be interested in such a solution. On the other hand, Schumacher is not concerned about a future outside of Formula 1. When asked about a plan B, he dismissed it: “Plan A was always to stay in Formula 1.”