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As Formula One prepares for the 2022 season finale, next year’s grid still is not set. That is until the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
In the build-up for the final showstopper, Haas finally confirmed it would be parting ways with Mick Schumacher at the end of this season. The 23-year-old hails from racing royalty as the son of seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher. He will be replaced by Nico Hulkenberg, Haas said early Thursday morning.
The 2022 campaign started out rough for Schumacher, who missed the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and recording two DNFs in Monaco and Montreal (the latter for engine troubles). But after that, he recorded two consecutive point finishes at Silverstone and Austria. The British Grand Prix marked his first F1 top-10 finish.
“This is going to be my last race with Haas F1 Team,” Schumacher wrote in a statement. “I don’t want to hide the fact that I am very disappointed about the decision not to renew our contract. Nevertheless, I would like to thank both Haas F1 and Ferrari for giving me this opportunity.”
Speculation arose throughout the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend about Schumacher’s future. Sebastian Vettel announced he is going to retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 campaign and later backed Schumacher to fill his seat. However, Aston Martin then announced Fernando Alonso would join the team in 2023 and race alongside Lance Stroll.
This past weekend in Brazil, Schumacher started the sprint race from last while teammate Magnussen was on pole, his and Haas’s first ever. He went on the gain spots in Saturday’s sprint race for a P12 start come Sunday, but the 23-year-old left São Paulo finishing just out of point contention in 13th.
The younger Schumacher has been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2019, but it’s rumored that he won’t be affiliated with the program after this season. His father won five world titles with the Prancing Horse.
However, as rumors started surfacing that Mick’s days were up at Haas after 2022, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff recently said, per Autosport, “I don’t know what the status is with Mick and Haas. But I make no secret of the fact that the Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes and that we value Mick very much.
“That's why we will definitely discuss this option if it arises. But the first priority has to be to end up in a racing cockpit, because that's what he can do and deserves.”
All eyes now fall on Williams, who have said American driver Logan Sargeant will be their second driver next year if he gets enough points for his super license. It comes down to Formula Two’s race in Abu Dhabi, which takes place early Sunday morning for East Coast fans.
