Mick Schumacher, son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, has finally spoken about his relationship with his former Haas team boss Gunther Steiner, who sacked him after two years with the team.
Speaking with Sky Deutschland pundit Peter Hardenacke at Monza, the 24-year-old German driver, now a reserve for Mercedes, revealed he’s no stranger to criticism, even from his own father.
“There were a few moments where I wondered what I did wrong,” Schumacher said. “But those ups and downs were great because it’s no different in motorsport. You always have people who support you and have your back, but also people who don’t. But you still have to deliver the performance.”
Schumacher implied that Steiner was among those who didn’t support him, often mentioning the financial toll his crashes took on the Haas team.
“It was suboptimal,” Schumacher admitted. “In Saudi Arabia I was happy that I was fine, but certain people then started talking about something that was unnecessary and tried to make the situation more complicated.”
Now working with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and having tested for McLaren, Schumacher feels he has a better grasp on effective F1 management.
“I now see how things should actually be done,” Schumacher noted. “You cannot assume that a driver will perform at his best if he is not supported in the right way.”
Despite the difficulties, Schumacher claims he learned valuable lessons from his time at Haas. “In the end, I learned a lot as a person. That people will never give you flowers—you have to pick them yourself. I know that now.”
He revealed that he talks “almost daily” with Wolff about potential opportunities for 2024.
“Many drivers are already fixed or have a contract that doesn’t expire until the end of next year,” said Schumacher.
“Unfortunately, there is a plan B,” he added, cryptically. “Getting into Formula 1 was the first goal. The second goal is still open – becoming world champion.”
