Mick Schumacher is in his second season in Formula 1, but the driver is still waiting for his first points. His results stood in stark contrast to those of his teammate Kevin Magnussen, who has already scored fifteen points this season. But how fair is this comparison?
That Schumacher has had to deal with sky-high expectations since childhood is beyond question. It is therefore not without reason that the Swiss native chose to compete under a different surname when he entered the karting world in 2008. With his mother’s birth name ‘Betsch’, he was given the opportunity to develop without pressure. It took him several years to work his way up, but at the end of his karting career, the awards came. It proved his great talent that he inherited from his father and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.
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Initial period in motorsport world
In 2015, Schumacher made the next step in his career by competing for Van Amersfoort Racing in Formula 4. Those who still doubted his talent, he immediately shut up at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. Schumacher won his first race and was victorious. However, he only managed to get on the podium once more that season, so he knew he had to keep developing himself.
Two years later he decided to take up the challenge in Formula 3. Schumacher ended up on the podium several times in his first season and worked hard on his qualities, which he benefited from in 2018. Indeed, he managed to take his first victory in Belgium, after which he recorded several wins in a row and eventually beat his direct rival Daniel Ticktum in the World Championship.
With that, he was ready for his next step: Formula 2. He continued with Prema, with whom he also drove in Formula 3, and achieved his first win at the new level in Hungary. Once again, in his second season, he managed to be better than his rival, which this time was Callum Ilott, and win the World Championship.
In doing so, he earned a spot at Haas in 2020. With the American racing stable, he hoped to compete in the middle of the pack, but due to decisions from within the team, Schumacher was certainly not given a car with which he could achieve this goal. With no points scored, he was left disappointed last calendar year. This year he hoped to do better, but things are still difficult.
Strong start of Magnussen
It doesn’t help Schumacher at all that Magnussen is in excellent shape. Whereas Nikita Mazepin was supposed to take his place prior to the new racing year, the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a change. Haas decided to part ways with Mazepin immediately and brought Magnussen back after a season’s absence.
The Dane seems to be in the form of his life. Immediately during the opening race in Bahrain, Magnussen managed to secure fifth place and stay ahead of Valtteri Bottas and Fernando Alonso, among others. He continued that line in recent weeks. Looking at his previous results in Formula 1, he is well on his way to his best season of his Formula 1 career.
Schumacher’s future remains uncertain
Given his racing talent and hard work, it seems that Schumacher will be given some time by Haas to develop himself. With the new regulations, it seems the driver will have to adapt. However, Magnussen’s performance shows that there is plenty to get out of the car. Therefore, once Schumacher is in shape, the rest seems to come naturally.
This season, however, should show whether Schumacher is able to handle the pressure. If he is again empty-handed at the end of the season then the possibility seems considerable that the American racing team will question his position. Until that time, however, team boss Guenther Steiner will remain rightly behind Schumacher.
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