Haas have confirmed Mick Schumacher will leave the team following this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In his two seasons with the team he has scored 12 points so far, with his best qualifying result – sixth place at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix – immediately being followed by his only points finishes in F1 at the British and Austrian grands prix. In the latter he achieved his best race result, a sixth place.Since then he has largely been out-performed by team mate Kevin Magnussen. This was illustrated dramatically in qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix six days ago where Magnussen scored a shock pole position in the rain-affected session after Schumacher took last place on the grid.
“I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. “Mick’s pedigree in the junior categories was well-known and he has continued to grow and develop as a driver in his time with Haas F1 Team – culminating in his first Formula 1 points-scoring successes earlier this season.
“While choosing to go in separate directions for the future the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond.”
Schumacher, son of seven-times Formula 1 world champion Michael, graduated to F1 with Haas last year after winning the Formula 2 championship.
The 23-year-old’s route to a Haas seat came as the team are an engine customer of Ferrari, who have Schumacher in their driver development programme. Although it is yet to be announced that Schumacher will also leave the Ferrari Driver Academy, it has already widely been reported that will be the case.
Aston Martin’s reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg is widely expected to be announced by Haas as joining the team in Schumacher’s place for 2023.
View the current list of 2023 F1 drivers and teams
Don't miss anything new from RaceFans
Follow RaceFans on social media:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2023 F1 season
- FIA president cleared of alleged interference in two 2023 races
- First week viewing figures for new Drive to Survive season fall again
- Max who? Drive to Survive season six prefers its favourite faces
- RaceFans’ complete 2023 season review
- The F1 drivers who pulled off the 10 biggest charges through the field in 2023
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
17th November 2022, 5:36
Be nice to see ‘The Hulk’ back (if that does transpire). Let’s hope he performs as well as many of us ‘hope’ he will.
Shame for Mick, but he had a fair crack. He may well find his niche in another series. I for one would quite like to see him in WEC, where his dad also performed well.
Sumedh
17th November 2022, 5:41
Sad but fair decision. Although I am not sure if Hulk is really an upgrade. Haas / Ferrari should try to give a chance to some of the youngsters – Schwartzman, Illot – what happened to these guys?
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
17th November 2022, 5:53
Fair? He had 1 year against someone with a lot more experience, scored half the points and if you repeat the season with the exp he has now he’d probably match him on points, I see nothing fair about that.
Neiana (@neiana)
17th November 2022, 6:36
@esploratore1 How many points did KMag lose due to other drivers hitting his front wing? I think you’re forgetting that.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
18th November 2022, 6:48
Mmm, if you take for example spain as I recall magnussen was the one making an over-aggressive move on hamilton, which ruined his own race.
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
17th November 2022, 5:58
Ultimately Ferrari signed drivers who were good but not great. All three of the 2018/19 recruits had some issues. For Mick and Robert, it was pace, for Callum it was consistency.
Really the only absolute talent in their books now is Oliver Bearman. If he has a great rookie F2 season in 23, Ferrari should be pressuring Haas. If Haas don’t want rookies, Ferrari can just withdraw their engine supply.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
17th November 2022, 6:10
I think Mick’s potential is far greater than Magnussen’s but Steiner needed someone to blame for Haas not capitalizing on what looked to be a really good car early on. Mick didn’t do enough and for a while now hasn’t been allowed to do more, I remember seeing Steiner’s dejected face when Mick qualified well at Suzuka. Sometimes teams on small budgets simply stop running the 2nd car.
Happy to see Hulk back, I’m sure he’ll have the measure of Magnussen if all goes well.
bogaaaa (@nosehair)
17th November 2022, 6:42
He was lucky to get into F1 in the first place, his name got him in, l would still rate him above the the Canadian rich kids…be nice in a perfect world that drivers got seats on merit alone!
Dan G (@dang)
17th November 2022, 7:01
Disappointing really. Mick has talent and was continuing to develop; we know Hulk and what he can do.
Worth noting, I think, that Mick has more points than Tsunsoda and Zhou.
MacLeod (@macleod)
17th November 2022, 7:54
Tsunsoda has the same amount (12) Zhou has (6) Mick problem is he didn’t improved enough if he beat Kevin he would stay also Haas is a team who doesn’t reach the Budget cap and around 100 milion so his crashes took a lot out of the team without anything to composate for it.
AbeyG (@1abe)
17th November 2022, 7:10
Out after just two seasons and that too in an inferior machinery. It’s too harsh to judge him on that considering he is a guy with potential to grow. I always thought Ferrari made the wrong choice to put him in Haas than in Alfa Romeo. Gunther is more of a boss than a leader/mentor for rookie drivers. Frederic would have showed him the right direction and that’s why Zhou is doing well there.
The only hope is the Williams seat. Nothing against Logan and I hope he gets that seat but in the unfortunate circumstance that Logan doesn’t get his super license, I hope Williams give that seat to Mick.
Rich#4131
17th November 2022, 7:53
Mercedes will welcome Shumacher as their reserve driver taking over from de Vries I believe
MacLeod (@macleod)
17th November 2022, 7:59
Your right Alfa Romeo would be much beter for Mick as he had a beter backing from Frederic then Gunther. (yelling a lot isn’t good for your personal performance)
Would William beter it could but i think he would much beter in Franz ‘team if you look at Yuki improvement.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
17th November 2022, 9:14
@macleod the Schumacher name on the side of a Williams is an image not many have envisioned.
Qeki (@qeki)
17th November 2022, 9:39
@bernasaurus How about Ralf?
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
17th November 2022, 9:43
@qeki Wow – that’s embarrassing. I wish there was a delete comment button.
Either my memory is horrendous, or Ralf’s career has just slipped in ether. I suspect it’s my memory.
Thanks for the correction though. Goodness knows what else I’ll get wrong today.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
18th November 2022, 7:02
Ahah, was about to answer the same, obviously michael is the first one thinks of when schumacher is mentioned, but ralf still had a few wins, and he could be fast on his day, but wasn’t as consistent, the one chance he got to fight for the title he got significantly outperformed by montoya. But overall, why not another schumacher in williams, I’d also prefer if he stayed.
Pedro
17th November 2022, 8:04
Totally agree on you’re reading, Bearman should be their main bet…
kpcart
17th November 2022, 8:39
Mick performed like a top pay driver or decent midfield driver. He had 2 seasons, and just couldn’t get the job done like for instance Magnussen has. He might end up driving Ferrari’s new WEC hypercar.
d0senbrot (@d0senbrot)
17th November 2022, 9:14
This does not have to mean the end of Mick’s career. At first glance, the most important thing for a driver still in development is of course to be on the grid. However, if that’s in an environment where the focus is on mere survival rather than training, then you either learn quickly or become a problem.
Since Mick is obviously not the type for such an environment, the end at Haas could turn out to be a blessing for him. First of all, I don’t think that Haas’ situation will change at all, they will probably be back at the bottom next season.
Now Mick is free to look around for any kind of opportunity. Williams could perhaps need a driver in the short term. Sauber will be financed by Audi in the future and Zhou might be interesting as a brand ambassador in China, but he has less potential. Being a reserve driver at Mercedes, and thus in the environment of the most influential managers in F1, would certainly not be a bad idea either.
In this respect, the future is completely open, Mick is still young, his family is very wealthy and his name is a door opener.
Hugh Jardon
17th November 2022, 9:24
No offence, Mick seems a nice enough guy, but the truth is he was ‘fast-tracked’ and earmarked for F1 solely because of his surname. Ferrari obviously saw Euro signs at the thought of a second Schumacher champion in their car. It was a nice pipe dream but sadly Mick is not Michael. Clearly the apple fell quite a way from the tree.
Qeki (@qeki)
17th November 2022, 9:41
So is “little schumacher” still Ralf or is it now Mick?
David BR (@david-br)
17th November 2022, 10:06
Thankfully, finally, a case of hype not winning. Schumacher was always obviously a mediocre driver, promoted for branding only.
Rob (@rossorob)
17th November 2022, 11:17
Does this make Schumacher a Haas-been?
Jere (@jerejj)
17th November 2022, 11:47
@rossorob Hopefully, not.
Jere (@jerejj)
17th November 2022, 11:48
Unsurprising after the last few days.
David B
17th November 2022, 15:16
Mick crashed far too much & a team like HAAS couldn’t afford all those costs. Whilst he was an okay driver, he hasn’t really progressed much compared to Zhou & dare i say even Yuki.