Nikita Mazepin says he and Mick Schumacher get along as teammates, but the fight between them gets “intense” when it gets faster.
The Russian got an overwhelming start to his Formula 1 career when his behavior on the track rubbed some of his passengers the wrong way and the Haas driver found himself in the gravel several times.
Haas newcomer Mazepin says the atmosphere within the team is harmonious as it is. He and Schumacher hope to help the team move forward with VF-21 feedback as much as possible.
“Mick and me get along very well,” he told Motorsport.com. “And we’re doing our best to lead the team with the car in the best possible direction. But it’s obviously not possible to do that too much as the car stays the same [in terms of development]. Compared to other vehicles, we generally lack downforce, especially on routes with high downforce.
“The atmosphere in the team has been very healthy so far and I’m looking forward to doing my best to keep it the same.”
With Schumacher in the Ferrari driver academy, the young German was able to tap into Scuderia’s resources by testing an old car near Fiorano and using the team’s simulator to help him along the way.
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Although the Russian doesn’t have that option, he says he’s doing everything he can to get himself up to Schumacher’s level – he believes the internal dispute at Haas will intensify in the coming races.
He previously added that he believes that once the results go his way, public perception of him will improve.
“Of course there are some tools that are not currently available to me, but I am working on finding options to find solutions that will be available to me immediately or more,” he says.
“Driving is not just about things on the track, you can imagine a lot of things in your head. You have to be very fit, I train twice a day – with one or two rest days – so I do a lot, and I’m happy because I know I’m doing the best I can. People around me see it.
“I wake up every morning with this one goal [beating Schumacher] in my thoughts. But I think it’s going to be an intense fight in the near future, I can tell you that. “
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