“They tried to divide us” - Haas boss Guenther Steiner hits back at Toto Wolff over Mick Schumacher claim
Haas boss Guenther Steiner has responded to Toto Wolff's comments about the American team's treatment of Mick Schumacher.
Wolff stated that the American outfit would not have treated Mick Schumacher harshly had his father, the legendary Michael Schumacher, been around to oversee his career.
Steiner, though, responded and claimed that the team was always 'fair' with the F2 champion. He told the Sky Sports F1 podcast:
“I think they tried to put pressure on to keep Mick and blame all the team and I don’t think that was good for Mick. In the end, they didn’t actively try to divide us but that’s what they did. I think he didn’t feel good when he heard the things talked about me and I didn’t feel good coming from their side. In the end, they tried to divide us."
After two seasons with the team, Haas chose not to renew Mick Schumacher's contract. Instead, Steiner decided to opt for experience and selected Nico Hulkenberg to partner with Kevin Magnussen for 2023. Steiner stated that he was "done with rookies" after a series of major crashes last season proved to be costly.
Wolff then commented on Steiner's treatment of Schumacher, claiming that the team boss wouldn't have 'dared' to mistreat him if Michael Schumacher was in the paddock. This led to a strong rebuttal from Steiner.
Haas boss on current interactions with Mick Schumacher
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said that his interactions with Mick Schumacher are now non-existent since the German moved to Mercedes.
The young driver was part of Haas alongside Kevin Magnussen last season but was axed in favor of Nico Hulkenberg. The move appears to have paid dividends, as Hulkenberg has already proven to be an upgrade.
However, the way things were handled between Schumacher and Steiner left a lot to be desired, as Mick's uncle Ralf Schumacher also entered the equation. The Haas team principal thinks that it's all in the past now and his relationship with Schumacher does not exist anymore.
Speaking to RTL/n-tv and Sport.de, Steiner said:
“He’s at the other end in the pit lane now, so we see each other very rarely. If he wants to talk to me: okay. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, it’s okay too. I have to respect that, and I’m okay with that.”
Schumacher currently serves as the third driver for Mercedes and plays an active role in ensuring Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have the perfect car at race weekends.