Mick Schumacher "F1 lacks patience for young drivers"[F1-Gate.com]

Mick Schumacher has said F1 lacks patience with young drivers after he lost his seat with the Haas F1 team at the end of the 2022 F1 season.

Mick Schumacher made his F1 debut with the Haas F1 team in 2021 and has been retained for his second season. However, the team has opted to use Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 season. Hulkenberg’s experience was a key factor in the decision.

Mick Schumacher has held up a lot in 2022. After heavy crashes in Saudi Arabia and Monaco that marred the start of the season, he scored points in Great Britain and Austria, sometimes showing a fast pace alongside teammate Kevin Magnussen.

“Probably yes,” Mick Schumacher told Auto Moto und Sport when asked if he thought F1 couldn’t wait for younger drivers.

“Obviously I don’t know how the other young riders have been treated and I can only speak from personal experience. It takes time.”

Mick Schumacher’s junior career often saw a lackluster first season followed by a big jump in the second season.

22-year-old Mick Schumacher explained why this didn’t happen in F1: “In the junior formula there is no further development between the teams.”

“This is where you can most clearly feel the improvement as a driver. In Formula 1, teams continue to develop. We had a big aero package, but other teams had some.”

“So it’s hard to measure yourself. If the other teams improve and my team doesn’t improve, even if I improve as a driver, I feel like I’m going backwards. The important thing for me is myself. He’s been consistently better than us.”

Earlier this year, when speculation about Mick Schumacher’s future was at a fever pitch, Haas F1 team owner Gene Haas argued rookie drivers were ‘too expensive’ in F1.

Gene Haas has been candid about Mick Schumacher, saying his crash, plus his lack of points-scoring positions, has put the team in a tough spot.

Despite the criticisms, Mick Schumacher admits he agrees with Gene Haas.

“He’s definitely right, Formula 1 is a sport where you have to push yourself to the limit,” said Schumacher.

“To find the limit, sometimes you have to go further, so there are a lot of people in the industry who say young riders need at least three years to get used to, and I agree.”

“Formula 1 has a completely different skill to it than any other racing category I’ve driven in. Every time I’m in the car I feel more comfortable and you can see it in my positive tendencies.”