Guenther Steiner’s treatment of Mick Schumacher at Haas still bothers uncle Ralf

Sam Cooper
Mick Schumacher speaking with Ralf Schumacher looking serious. Brazil November 2022

Haas driver Mick Schumacher speaking with Ralf Schumacher looking serious. Brazil November 2022

Ralf Schumacher has continued to criticise Haas boss Guenther Steiner for the way he treated Schumacher’s nephew, Mick.

Mick Schumacher was shown the door at Haas last season with the team deciding to swap the inexperience of the young German for an F1 veteran in the shape of Nico Hulkenberg.

But the decision, and the events leading up to it, has never sat right with Mick’s uncle Ralf who has often been critical in particular of Steiner’s approach.

With the latest series of Drive to Survive devoting an episode to Haas, Ralf Schumacher again criticised Steiner, admitting that while Mick did make mistakes, he expected “a grown man to treat a young man differently.”

“Mick was slow and made mistakes,” Schumacher toldFormel1.de. “And as a driver you have to deal with the fact that the team criticises it.

“I have absolutely no problem with criticism and Guenther Steiner should lead his team as he wants and thinks is right.

“I just have to say that I expect a grown man to treat a young man differently. I think the young man could have been motivated better.

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“当你看到现在,你可以想象更多how difficult it was for Mick and what Mick did at his age. In a team where you have the feeling that you are not wanted and you are actually going up against the sack, Mick has done a great job. The future will show whether he is good enough at the end of the day.”

While Schumacher was critical of Steiner’s treatment of Mick, he was not critical of Steiner and the team’s choice to bring in fellow German Hulkenberg as his replacement.

Schumacher said Hulkenberg did a great job in the opening race in Bahrain, where he finished P13, but said one race was not enough to confirm Mick was the problem.

“Some colleagues have written that Hulkenberg moves Mick out of the way,” the brother of Michael said. “I have to be honest: It’s a bit early. A race doesn’t make a world championship.

“Nico did a great job, no question about it. And accordingly, one has to acknowledge without envy, Guenther Steiner didn’t make a bad decision.”

Since leaving Haas, Mick Schumacher has taken up a role at Mercedes as the team’s reserve driver and he was present at the track for their disappointing outing in Bahrain last weekend.