Red Bull chief tips Haas to sack Mick Schumacher – no sign of trust
Christian Horner on Red Bull's success and hints at next step
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Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has tipped Haas to part company with Mick Schumacher as there is ‘no sign of trust’ between the 23-year-old and his team and suggested he should be switched with a more experienced driver. The German’s contract expires at the end of the season and it is looking increasingly unlikely that it will be renewed with Nico Hulkenburg widely rumoured to replace him.
Schumacher is yet to properly impress in Formula One after experiencing two tough seasons at Haas. Last year he struggled in a very uncompetitive car while he has not lived up to the standard set by teammate Kevin Magnussen during the current campaign, sitting 12 points behind the Dane after taking points in just two races.
Mistakes have characterised much of his season, with high-profile crashes in Saudi Arabia and Monaco coming at a considerable cost to his team. As a result, his future at the American outfit is in doubt with Guenther Steiner heavily debating making a driver switch for 2023.
Now, Red Bull chief Marko has weighed in on the debate and tipped Haas to drop the German driver after suggesting there is a lack of trust between the two parties. The Austrian also argued Schumacher is costing the manufacturer money, something that is less likely to happen with a veteran.
“When a team publicly criticizes the driver so massively, as was sometimes the case, it shows that there is no sign of trust within the team,” the 79-year-old told RTL News.
“From the outside, it looked like the first half of the season wasn’t good, there were serious accidents with a lot of material and money damage, which is of course serious for teams.
“The situation at Haas is that they have an experienced driver in Magnussen and if there was a great up-and-coming talent, I would bet on this one. But I don’t see anyone at the moment who would have these requirements.
“From a team perspective, there’s a lot of money at stake in the Constructors’ World Championship – whether you’re tenth or eighth, that’s x million dollars difference, I assume Haas will bet on a veteran.”
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Marko also gave his view on Schumacher’s likely replacement, fellow German Hulkenburg. The 35-year-old is vastly experienced within F1 having made 181 race starts, however, has not raced full-time since 2019 and holds the unenviable record for most Grand Prix entered without claiming a podium. Despite this, the Red Bull man was keen to talk up his talents.
“Hülkenberg has the aura and he has proven it,” the Austrian said. “He jumps into the car as a reserve driver without any test kilometres, so to speak, into the cold water, and has always delivered. That speaks volumes for him.”
It remains to be seen whether or not Schumacher will maintain his place at Haas but his position looks more and more precarious each day.
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