Mick Schumacher made a totally unexpected change of team-mate just before the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season, and the balance of power within the team is now different than it was before Haas.
The German driver had been the one who set the standards with his previous teammate, Nikita Mazepin, in the first year of both in the category, but this season he is struggling to match the pace of Kevin Magnussen, who already has 15 points in his locker.
Mick Schumacher is one of the few drivers who has not yet managed to get into the top 10, neither in qualifying nor in the race (although he did in the Imola sprint race). That, coupled with a high-speed accident in Jeddah, has caused some experts to begin to question its potential.
However, Magnussen defends his teammate: “He’s obviously very talented: he won F3 and F2 before coming to F1, so I think he deserves to be here,” the Dane said of his teammate on the Beyond The Grid podcast. .
“It’s quite difficult for him, because he has that last name. His father is the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, and some may think he’s here just because he’s called Schumacher , but he really has what it takes.”
“He did what it took and more to get here: some drivers come even without winning F3, like me, who finished second,” added Kevin Magnussen .
In fact, no driver has achieved better results than Mick Schumacher in the lower categories, although four others managed to win at both F3 and F2 level: Lewis Hamilton, Nico Hulkenberg, Charles Leclerc and George Russell. Of course, unlike Mick Schumacher , all of them were crowned champions in their first campaign in each of these categories.
Beyond the track performance and talent, Magnussen also praised the young German driver’s attitude and team spirit: “He’s a super nice guy, he’s down to earth and very polite. He’s nice to everyone, everyone loves him.” they want a lot.”
“He was very open with me right away, he really wants to learn, he asks questions. And we don’t always have that relationship between the drivers, some are too proud, they don’t want to work together. Maybe some drivers are afraid to show weakness by doing it, but for example, Mick doesn’t care, he just wants to learn,” concluded the Danish Haas driver.
