It’s time for Mick Schumacher to come up with a “Plan B”

Mick Schumacher doubts his results in the last two phases of the season could significantly influence his future fate in Formula 1. Haas F1 head Günter Steiner recently spoke of the same, promising to determine the 2023 team lineup for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Niko Hulkenberg is considered the main contender for the place of Kevin Magnussen’s partner, and it is possible that Haas management’s decision will also be influenced by the results of yesterday’s qualifying in Sao Paulo, where the Dane took the lead. pole – the first in his career and in the history of the US team – while Mick was on the 20th line of protocol.

Schumacher has scored a few points this season, finishing eighth in the UK, sixth in Austria and what he can do in Brazil from last place in Saturday’s sprint we’ll find out soon enough.

“I don’t think my situation can change significantly, but of course we will try to show a good result,” Mick said before qualifying, which was extremely unsuccessful for him. “Looks like our car is doing well at this track, so let’s hope we have a good weekend.”

When asked if he had a “plan B” in case Haas refused his services, Schumacher replied: “I’ll think about it when the time comes.” In theory, he could count on a reserve driver spot in each of the teams, including rumors that Mick could be in Sauber as it becomes a strategic partner of Audi in the near future. The German company is coming to Formula 1 in 2026, preparations for this have already started and it is quite logical that Audi would want to work with one of the German racers.

In addition, Schumacher remains formally one of the students of the Ferrari Racing Academy and while it is likely that this partnership will end soon, it cannot be ruled out that Mick may become one of the Scuderia reservists.

In the 2022 season, Schumacher was two-tenths behind his partner in qualifying by more than a second, their qualifying matches score 16:5 in favor of Magnussen. Although Mick showed speeds quite on the level of a more experienced Dane on good days, he had a couple of very serious car crashes – this was the case in Saudi Arabia and Monaco, and the team leaders don’t hide that collaboration with the German too expensive.

Nevertheless, Schumacher remains convinced that he has potential in Formula 1: “Personally, the most important thing for me is that the results have steadily improved over the season, and I know that. Some goals were achieved, although of course I could not achieve everything I wanted, but I was not at all sure that I would succeed. This is Formula 1, it’s very different from the youth categories I spoke to before.

Many have said this, but it will not be superfluous to repeat: after two years in Formula 1, no one has managed to become a fully trained racer. I still have a lot to learn and I plan to continue this process to prove one day that I can combine it all. I passed in the youth categories and I am sure that I can also become a top driver in Formula 1.”

If the seasoned Niko Hulkenberg replaces Mick in Haas F1, we can expect him to earn more points for the team in 2023, which is hugely important for them as with each successive position in the Constructors’ Championship, the prize money increases by about $11-12 million

It is likely that the hopes of Mick and his management are now linked to the fact that other teams saw his progress during the season and appreciated the potential of the German racer, which he simply failed to unleash behind the wheel of the Haas car. In any case, it’s time for him to think about “Plan B”.