Mick Schumacher revealed he has to be patient and do his best until the end of the 2022 Formula 1 season, one more race, to know his position at his team – Haas.
When members of Formula 1 team Haas gathered at the Interlagos paddock on Friday evening to celebrate Kevin Magnussen’s unexpected pole position for the next day’s Sprint Race, his teammate Mick Schumacher may not have been in the mood to party.
And soon the 23-year-old Schumacher might not be in the paddock to party at all.
Schumacher, son of seven-time Champion Michael Schumacher, had just finished qualifying in last position. He did better in Saturday’s sprint race and started the Brazilian Grand Prix in 12th before finishing 13th on Sunday.
Schumacher, whose contract expires at the end of the season, says he doesn’t know what the future holds after collecting only 12 points so far this year with one race left.
“We have to be patient. I hope to do well until the end of the season and then we see,” Schumacher said Saturday after spending 15 minutes talking to four-time champion Sebastian Vettel at Interlagos.
Schumacher says Aston Martin’s Vettel, who will retire at the end of the season, is one of his few advisers on what to do to keep his seat.
“I won’t tell you what he tells me,” Schumacher replied when asked about the content of their frequent conversations.
Guenther Steiner’s slow-thinking process
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner says he hopes to announce a decision over Schumacher in the coming week.
“I am a slow thinker,” Steiner said Friday. “I have to think about the future of Haas, and that takes time. It is not only about one race.”
So far no other F1 teams have shown open interest in signing Schumacher. His last race for Haas could be next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which closes the season.
“I am doing what I love and I want to continue doing that,” Schumacher said Saturday. “I am working for that to happen.”
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was asked about the possibility of the young German getting a reserve role at Mercedes; he said: “I don’t know what the status is with Mick at Haas.
“I think the most important thing for him is to get a racing cockpit. But I make no secret of the fact that the Schumacher family belongs to Mercedes, that we value Mick very much as a personality and as a racing driver.
“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,” the Austrian concluded. (Story by Mauricio Savarese, Additional reporting by GrandPrix 247’s Agnes Carlier)