Schumacher and Mazepin both graduated from Formula 2 in Formula 1 last year and joined Haas as part of an all-new lineup for the American team.
Haas treated 2021 as a transition year, opting against any development of his car ahead of the campaign, diverting all of his resources to the new regulations in 2022.
That meant the team finished last in the Constructors’ Championship and scored no points, although they showed signs of progress towards the end of the year.
2021 marked the first time Haas fielded a rookie driver in F1, let alone two, and Steiner admitted it had been “an experience”.
“When we went in we knew what we were doing, but I wasn’t aware of the whole of what was going to happen,” Steiner told Motorsport.com.
“You learn and realize how young these guys are, how inexperienced they are and how much help they need.
“You have to learn some things yourself. You cannot teach them. You can lead them, but you can’t tell them. You swim or you sink. If you’re trying to keep her afloat, that’s a full-time job that I don’t want to do.
“Learning the hard way is better then it’s in you better than spoiling them. As the car wasn’t competitive it was easier because we didn’t need the points.
“[In 2022], we want to score again. But they learned a lot themselves by doing things wrong.
“The only good thing about that year was that I didn’t have to get upset, we had nothing to lose.”
Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-21, passes while Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-21, recovers from a spin
Photo by: Jerry Andre / Motorsport Images
Schumacher and Mazepin both had crashes in the 2021 season, as well as a couple of tight track moments and team order disagreements.
Mazepin told Motorsport.com at the end of the season that he was now “neutral” on Schumacher after some “difficult times” in their rookie season.
Steiner explained that the riders had to change their mentality to realize that instead of fighting for the lead like in the junior categories, they work together for the good of the team.
“They were fighting each other early in the season and it’s like, ‘Guys, you’re fighting for 19th place,'” Steiner said.
“It doesn’t do the team any good. At some point they understood that Formula 1 is not about beating a driver.
“For example, if you have a strategy job in practice – ‘why do I have to do this job and not the other one?’ – because it’s better for the team is a simple answer.
“For us, they are not A and B, they are A and A. Everyone gets an equal opportunity when we work out what is better for the team. No differentiation, equality – that’s how it works.”
