Mick Schumacher felt "prepared" for the Saudi Arabian GP

March 27, 2022

Mick Schumacher suffered a major accident during Q2 qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and was taken to hospital for a series of preventative checks.

During the night, the German pilot was discharged and was able to return to his hotel. However, the team had already decided that it was not feasible to build a new car overnight and start from the pitlane, especially due to the shortage of spare parts and the proximity of the Australian GP, which will be held in about 15 days. .

Although the first television shots after the accident seemed to indicate that he was not moving, Mick Schumacher said that at no time did he feel dizzy or suffer side effects.

“I was 100%,” he said when asked about it by Motorsport.com. “I was just frustrated and of course upset about it. Obviously I was just reflecting on what had just happened and what I could have done better.”

“I just wanted to make sure before I started moving around erratically that everything was okay. The stewards and also the doctors came quickly and made sure I was okay.”

“And once I felt that I was fine and able to move around without any problems, I said so, but they thought it was safer to do preventive medical check-ups.”

“Let’s put it like this, once I lost the rear of the car, I knew what was coming.”

“Yeah, it was a big hit. From what I heard, I was going about 170 mph when I hit that wall. I think in a road car, it wouldn’t end very well. But I mean, luckily, these cars are so sure I’m here with no problems.

Mick Schumacher explained that the curb that hit and caused his crash is trickier this year than last season as cars run lower to the ground than in 2021.

“As far as I remember, last year that was less of a concern. Just the nature of the cars, we had a higher ride height, the rear of the car was generally much higher.

“We’re going quite low now, even more so at this circuit. So the moment you hit that curb, which is quite high, the rear tires lose contact with the surface.

“That means you can lose control and have an accident. And we saw it with other drivers in Q3 too, who came very close to something similar.”

“I think it’s something that will have to be looked at and [if necessary] fixed, if we come back here,” said the German Haas driver.

Referring to the decision not to race at the Saudi Arabian GP, he said: “Yes, I am sure I am ready, or I would be ready to race.”

“It’s all down to the component and parts management of the car in general, we have to take care of everything to make sure we can compete in Melbourne.”

“I know it’s the second race, spare parts are usually quite hard to come by this time of year. So I thought it might be tricky to race, but I was looking forward to racing today.”

Schumacher also suffered a serious accident during last year’s race in Saudi Arabia. On the dangers of the circuit, he said: “Well, last year it was a different accident. I think it was worse this time, especially as we had the car to get to Q3.”

“It’s not up to me to judge whether it’s (a circuit) safe or not. It’s up to the organizers and the people who decide. But I think there are some points we’ll have to look at,” he concluded.

Gallery: Photos of Mick Schumacher’s accident in Saudi Arabia

The medical team attends the accident of Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-22, in Q2