Nico Hulkenberg has taken over the Haas cockpit from Mick Schumacher.Image: imago / north photo
formula 1
After two years as a starter at Team Haas, Mick Schumacher’s still young Formula 1 career is coming to an involuntary turning point: this year the 23-year-old will no longer compete regularly, but instead has to hope for sporadic race participation as a reserve driver for Mercedes and McLaren. Ideally, he will eventually have his own regular cockpit again.
Mick Schumacher’s contract with Team Haas was not renewed at the end of 2022.Image: www.imago-images.de / Motorsport Images
Schumacher’s successor at Team Haas, Nico Hülkenberg, has already had such a career break. In an interview with “Sport Bild”, the 35-year-old remembers his time as a test driver for Aston Martin. Hülkenberg believes that the temporary job could also be an opportunity for his colleague Mick Schumacher.
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Schumacher “will learn an awful lot”
“After 2019 it was a conscious decision to leave Formula 1. Knowing that there might be no turning back“Hülkenberg remembers his exit from Renault. “From the middle of the year I wasn’t in the best mental shape at the time,” he estimates afterwards.
After nine years as a starter for various teams, Hülkenberg only finished 14th in the 2019 World Cup rankings, which is worse than he had been since his debut season. He then worked as a TV expert before signing a contract as a reserve driver after Sergio Pérez contracted Covid.
Hülkenberg was allowed to stand in for both Sergio Pérez (left) and Sebastian Vettel (right) as a substitute driver.Image: ap / Matt Dunham
“The break gave me a good distance and a reset,” says Hulkenberg, summing up the past two years. “The time […] was certainly the reason why I am here now sorted, motivated and fresh and ready to attack.”
Mick Schumacher could also emerge stronger from the current situation: “He can now digest the last two seasons,” says Hülkenberg. The fact that Schumacher has no pressure to perform as a substitute pilot could help him to clear his head.
In addition, the job at Mercedes is also a unique opportunity. “He will be able to learn an awful lot from one of the best drivers that has ever existed,” enthuses Hulkenberg about former world champion Lewis Hamilton. “These are valuable experiences that he can collect and use for himself.”
Haas has confidence in new car and new driver
However, Hülkenberg does not have to envy his compatriot for the private lessons with the former world champion, after all, the 35-year-old will soon be able to get back on the track himself. The first Grand Prix of the new season is scheduled for March 5 in Bahrain. As early as next week (February 23 to 25), Hülkenberg will be allowed to drive the new car out of the pits for various tests for the first time.
Kevin Magnussen was able to try out the new Haas car at Silverstone.Image: ap / Frank Augstein
As “Sport Bild” reports, Haas was able to fully utilize the budget for the new engine, which was limited by the regulations, for the first time. According to this, the racing team put a total of 126 million euros into the drive, and Hülkenberg is said to have already shown top performances in training.
So now he’s ready and can’t wait “for things to finally get going after all this long waiting.” His racing team is confident that things will pick up again in 2023 after the rather disappointing past few years.
Last summer, VfB Stuttgart had to cope with the loss of their star striker Saša Kalajdžić: The 25-year-old Austrian was considered a huge talent before he switched to Wolverhampton Wanderers for 18 million euros at the start of the season.
