- Mick Schumacher will have to wait until he can climb into the right seat before experiencing his 2022 Haas F1 car.
- Haas does not own a Formula 1 racing simulator, so its drivers cannot train in the virtual world.
- Schumacher believes Haas will be more competitive this year thanks to the sport’s rule changes.
- You can find news from the automotive sector on Wheels24
Haas F1 driver and Scuderia Ferrari reserve driver Mick Schumacher says he won’t get a first taste of his 2022 spec car until he drives the original in winter testing. The 22-year-old has close ties to Ferrari and will even be a reserve driver this year. Unlike most other racers of 2022, he won’t even be able to test his new race car in the virtual world as Haas doesn’t have a simulator.
“That’s supposed to change this year, but I think I’ll only be able to drive the new car for the first time at the Barcelona test,” Schumacher told Auto Motor und Sport. Nonetheless, he says his satisfaction with his debut season last year is “quite high” despite the 2021 car being the slowest on the grid.
Mick Schumacher walks away from his Haas F1 car after crashing during the final practice session ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
Missing in battle for race position
When asked about the duels with competing drivers, Schumacher replied: “I miss it. But we are not as far away as Williams was in 2019. So we still have a few duels. Of course I would like more and of course I hope so. “I can grow and develop next year.”
Schumacher’s Ferrari promotion is a big boost for that, but it keeps him from becoming a racer for the storied Maranello team anytime soon. “It’s all too far away,” emphasized the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
“First of all, I have to do a good job this year. If that is the case, then I can look further into the future.”
Mick Schumacher of Germany and Haas F1 and Nikita Mazepin of Russia and Haas F1 look on from the grid during the first day of F1 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 12, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain.
Rejects claims of “unfairness” in sport
The German dismissed the notion that Formula 1 is an inherently unfair sport because some drivers find themselves in winning cars while others sit at the very back. “Everyone deserves their place in Formula 1,” emphasized Schumacher. “You only know if you can win races with a Mercedes when you are there. Anything else would be presumptuous.”
His 2021 season was marked in part by an intense duel with rookie teammate Nikita Mazepin, but Schumacher believes the Haas pair can achieve more this year. “For example, we can get closer to the other cars,” he said. “We have a good idea of how far away we should actually be. So if we’re closer than we thought, we know it’s been a good weekend.”
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