"There is a lot of unrest from the outside" - Haas boss blames media for 'division of the team' over Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher is under a lot of pressure from the outside. This is the view of Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.
Speaking to SkySports Germany just before the 2022 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Steiner said that the media was starting to create a division within the team. He appeared almost a bit defensive throughout the situation as he claimed that the team's only endeavor was to ensure success for Schumacher's career. He said:
“The camp is being divided. The division of the team from the outside is not good for Mick [Schumacher]. There is a lot of unrest from the outside. I’m trying to keep the pressure off Mick. It’s almost chalked up to us that we are to blame for everything. I don’t think we are. We want Mick to be successful. We are a team. I need Mick, Mick needs us. Together we can be strong. If we don’t work together, we can’t do it. We need success. We have to see that we get points.”
Günther said that the media is trying to create tension between Mick / team with false reporting. He was very defensive. It was very uncomfortable to watch.
The Haas driver suffered a second major crash this season in Monaco that split his car in half. Due to the nature of the crash, expenses intended to repair the car damage have shot up for the team, leading to Guenther Steiner claiming that Mick Schumacher needed to not crash the car again.
Mick Schumacher had a rather off-color race in Baku
Irrespective of what Guenther Steiner explained to the media, it was pretty obvious that Mick Schumacher was drastically off the mark in Baku. The young German missed the first Free Practice session but that does not explain the six-tenths of a second gap to teammate Kevin Magnussen in qualifying and a similar gap in the race as well. Schumacher qualified last, even behind the Williams drivers, and did not have a strong race either in the end.
On to the next one #MSC47 https://t.co/K0Dgz6k7g9
Was that drop in performance a result of something Steiner said is a question we don't have an answer to. Earlier in the week, however, even Ralf Schumacher had spoken out about the Haas team boss' approach to leading the team and managing the drivers. The former Williams F1 driver said:
“[Guenther] Steiner’s style makes it difficult for the drivers. He has an extremely authoritarian leadership style that I remember from my active Formula 1 days. But today it is no longer up to date. Both made mistakes, both Mick [Schumacher] and the team. Except the mistakes were not publicly mentioned by the team.”
Can Mick Schumacher make a strong comeback this season? Looking at the way his season is going, it's hard to predict but it will be worth keeping an eye on.