Mick Schumacher signed through Ferrari, not 1&1 sponsorship
Haas signed Mick Schumacher - the son of Michael Schumacher - after he won the Formula 2 championship last year. Fans believe the signing was a direct result of the German being a part of Ferrari's driver academy.
However, the latest season of the Netflix Original, 'Drive to Survive' showed an alternate possibility for Haas signing Mick Schumacher. Team principal Guenther Steiner was seen negotiating with potential sponsors 1&1. According to the docuseries, the web-hosting company was keen to have a German driver in the team.
The documentary shows 1&1 taking interest in Mick Schumacher signing with Haas and therefore possibly influencing the team's driver selections.
Mick Schumacher's selection was through Ferrari: Guenther Steiner
Team principal Guenther Steiner clarified that Mick Schumacher's selection had nothing to do with the 1&1 sponsorship. According to the Italian, it was a decision taken with Ferrari after Haas consulted with the Scuderia following the German's Formula 2 championship.
Guenther Steiner said:
“The 1&1 sponsorship is a Haas team sponsorship, it’s not a Mick sponsorship, just to clarify that. There is no direct connection between 1&1 and Mick. Obviously, 1&1 embraces Mick being at Haas, but this was a parallel development, not a combined development."
Guenther Steiner also clarified Ferrari's role in the signing of Mick Schumacher:
“But that, it was more like a decision from Ferrari where to send the drivers and we asked if we can have him because he won Formula 2. But it is not a direct negotiation going on between the company [1&1] and Mick.”
Mick Schumacher made a decent start to his Formula 1 career at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The German brought the car home in P16 and was the better Haas driver over the weekend. His Russian teammate, Nikita Mazepin, had a short but eventful race. The driver spun his car on the very first lap, making his debut the shortest in Formula 1 in 19 years.