While Mick Schumacher’s position is not yet guaranteed for 2023, Kevin Magnussen, a more seasoned colleague, does not face the same uncertainty.
After the 2020 season, Haas fired Magnussen, 29, and Romain Grosjean to make room for the entry of Schumacher and then-rookie teammate Nikita Mazepin. The modest American team re-signed its former Danish driver when Mazepin was fired due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
“Mick is very lucky to have a teammate like Kevin,” Haas boss Guenther Steiner told Red Bulletin. “He’s in a much better spot than last year. Having Kevin here, there is no negative… except having Kevin here.”
Early in 2022, Schumacher did indeed find it difficult to keep up with his much more experienced teammate. This included a string of prominent crashes that drew Steiner’s wrath and raised questions about 2023.
Although Haas is not yet prepared to sign a new contract with the Ferrari junior driver, it was decided to withhold further information also out of mutual respect with Ferrari.
“Let’s wait for the two weeks and then a decision will be made,” added the Haas team boss Steiner, as the team considers its driver lineup in the summer break.
However, there is better news for Magnussen after Steiner confirmed, “Yes, Kevin has a multi-year contract.”
“We are making progress and have shown what we can do and logically we need the best possible drivers in our cars in order to finish in the points to get to the top.”
This weekend’s Formula 1 race is in France, but sources do not see Paul Ricard making the schedule for the next year.
“We would love to keep all the races,” Steiner told the German broadcaster ntv, “but that can’t happen. We have to make sure that things continue commercially and bring the sport to countries where it hasn’t been for a long time.”
According to rumours, FIA representatives are in Kyalami this week to authorise the old grand prix track for a new competition in South Africa.
