Mick Schumacher suspects engine problem behind the first Formula 1 DNF

Mick Schumacher believes an engine problem was responsible for his retirement from the Russian Grand Prix, the first DNF of his F1 career.

Schumacher found himself in Haas’ familiar position at the bottom of the grid and could have had some fun in the final stages when it was raining in Sochi, but he couldn’t make it to that point.

After trying to find a solution to his ailing Haas VF-21 on the track, the order came from the team to back off, a call Schumacher refused to hear in 2021.

Asked by reporters about the reason for his resignation, Schumacher said, “It appears to be an engine problem.

“We tried to fix it on the track but unfortunately we didn’t make it, so it is, and obviously it’s Formula 1 so that things can happen.

“It’s my first retirement this year, I was hoping it would take a little longer and maybe not happen again this year, but it’s part of the game.

“I think up until then we were very good in terms of pace, the car felt really good, so a lot of positive things to take away.”

Schumacher lost a few positions at the start as he had moved up to 14th position on the grid due to a series of penalty loops.

However, it made him start from the dirty side, and the German racing driver feels influenced by it on his outing.

“I think starting on the dirty side definitely made it a lot harder for us to get off to a good start,” he said.

“And then when I was obviously in the mix, trying to find the right spot, I got stuck in the middle and I think Antonio cut off.” [Giovinazzi’s] Dare.

“What a shame, but I think again that the pace was there, we probably would have managed to get closer to the cars in front of us.

“But if we overtook them, that’s the other thing, so we’ll only take the positives.”

An up and down afternoon in Sochi – Günther expresses his thoughts… # HaasF1 #RussianGP pic.twitter.com/948fITtj1L

– Haas F1 Team (@ HaasF1Team) September 26, 2021

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Haas’ headmaster Günther Steiner later blamed a loss of hydraulic pressure for Schumacher’s suffering.

On the other side of the Haas garage, Nikita Mazepin enjoyed a “very good” opening lap, but from there was no longer able to satisfy his tires and finally landed on P18.

“A long race, a lot happened, I had a very good opening lap,” he recalled.

“And then I did my best to keep the faster cars behind by using the battery cleverly, which I think I did well.

“After the boxing, I came out on hard tires and still tried to keep the cars behind me. Then a car overtook me, I had a lock and unfortunately they won’t come back when the hardships lock. “

Mazepin enjoyed his tires a lot more when he pitted for the intermediates as one of the first in the rain, and that meant a nice gain in time.

It was also an opportunity for some fun in late rainy weather as he overtook faster cars that hobbled back into the pits on slicks.

“I think we have built a very good reputation as a team for Inters to go, one of the very first cars, and we won back quite a bit of time,” said Mazepin.

“It was fun to overtake some cars that I could never have overtaken, like Ferraris and Alfa [Romeos]. “