Haas team boss Günther Steiner believes that Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin are no longer “fish out of the water” in Formula 1 after they got into the sport and believe they know everything.
It was a tough learning year for the young German and Russian drivers as they were forced to “compete” in a car that is pathetically off-speed and that was never developed during the campaign due to the focus on the 2022 regulations.
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With two races remaining, Haas is at the bottom of the constructors’ championship without a point, with his best result being a 12th from Schumacher at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Looking back on their rookie season, Steiner said: “The area where they have improved the most is if I see them on a Thursday you can tell they were there.
“At the start of the season they were a bit of a fish out of the water, even if they think they know what F1 is. Not in a negative sense.
“It’s normal to get into such an environment, but I think they have matured a lot.”
Steiner senses that the initial excitement that the two would have felt when they got into the car despite their lack of competitiveness has subsided.
“You don’t have to think, it has become automatic what you have to do on Thursdays and Fridays when you get into the car,” added Steiner. “It’s all good.
“In terms of performance, I think they know how to work with the engineers. You know a lot more than you did eight months ago.
“It’s like I always told you, in six months you’ll find out how little you know when you walked in, even if you think you know everything at the moment.
“This is an apprenticeship. That’s rookie years. You learn every day and every week. “
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