Mick Schumacher cut from Haas team after 2022 F1 season
November 17, 2022Formula One driver Mick Schumacher will leave the Haas team at the end of this season.
In the announcement on Thursday, the US-owned team said Nico Hulkenberg would replace the son of seven-time Formula One champion Micheal Schumacher.
"I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,'' said Haas team principal Günther Steiner.
Shortly after the announcement, Schumacher tweeted his disappointment with the decision but hoped to return to the sport soon.
Haas: Mick Schumacher 'cost a fortune' and 'wrecked cars'
Schumacher is yet to live up to his father's legacy. He and his teammate Nitika Mazepin were reportedly the worst team on the F1 grid last season. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mazepin was fired.
Denmark's Kevin Magnussen, who replaced him, outran Schumacher all year.
In October, the president and team founder Gene Haas said, "Mick's future is going to be decided by Mick."
He added that while Schumacher displayed a lot of potential, he "costs a fortune and he's wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don't have."
In the three races since then, the 23-year-old German failed to score any points. He missed the second race of the season after he was briefly hospitalized due to a crash in Saudi Arabia.
With 12 points scored, his rank is 17 of the 20 drivers this season.
Mercedes: 'Schumacher family belongs with us'
Schumacher was placed with Haas by the Ferrari Driver Academy, with which Haas has a technical alliance. The contract ends after the season finale in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
This removes any obligation on Haas to keep Schumacher in their car.
Schumacher could potentially land a reserve role with Mercedes — a job Daniel Ricciardo is also chasing.
After last week's race at the Brazilian Grand Prix, Mercedes team lead Toto Wolff said the team was interested in the German.
"I don't know what the status is with Mick and Haas," Wolff said. "But I make no secret of the fact that the Schumacher family belongs with us and that we value Mick very highly.''
ns/sms (APE, Reuters)