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DonBlanko's avatar
DonBlanko
Seasoned Scout
3 years ago

Re: Schumi jr Has no seat or car to put it in😔

@ScarDuck14yep, I feel the same.
Its very sad. Its a long time ago, that I focues that much on a driver's devlopment, like I did with him the last two years. Sadly there were more downs than ups, but nevertheless - for me - he showed some very good skills outthere.

Schumacher showed very good skills in case of wheel to wheel racing, even in the first season when he fought williams or Verstappen in Hungary. But especially this year when he fought the big names of F1. This was really nice to see from him, that very good and clean battles, which we never saw from some other drivers out there.

In the second half he was mostly faster then Magnussen in Race. But neverthless he did't made often enough into top 10, while magnussen showed more consistency. And his pace on a single lap was too unconsistent. He showed potential in france and turkey last year and especially in Mexico, brasil (yes brasil!) and zandvoort this year. In the end, haas is not a good team for a rookie. The team has no patiences like williams. I am quiet sure, that Schumacher would beat Magnussen in the next year.

Nevertheless Hülckenberg fits perfect to Haas. They are not intersted in building up a driver. They want expierences and good qualitys from the beginning. And they want especially less pressure from the press. I guess the comments Ralf Schumacher and sky germany weren't quiet conductive for Schumachers carreer because every single bad headline about Steiner is annyoing for the team and give them a bad image.

I hope Schumacher can get the last seat in the Williams, if their F2-Drivers miss the licence points. Well and alternativ I hope Schumacher could go to Mercedes for 1 year to be available for Audi next year.

Until then I enjoy Nico Hülkenberg. 

8 Replies

  • Rapheal629's avatar
    Rapheal629
    3 years ago
    @DonBlanko Hmm I have to wonder how much development was halted when they were forced to terminate Ulkalkali sponsorship from the team for moral reasons, of course Mick's crashes that wrote off two whole chassis at Saudi and Monaco didn't help either, with the former, Haas decided not to rebuild it despite the fact Schumacher was fit to race. Was there more pace to be extracted by Schumacher? Of course, I collated a spreadsheet of the qualifying pace differential between Kevin and himself and he was on average 7 tenths off Kevin so... unfortunately his one lap pace was just shockingly bad.

    I really wanted Schumacher to stay and when they kept delaying the announcement, I was boiling inside for him, but then I watched back qualifying in Brazil and there was a shot of Guenther and Mick embracing and that sort of told me that Mick's been informed it's over. Mick admitted that he simply didn't want to smash the car to pieces which was why he went conservative on the runs and everyone improved, but he simply didn't improve enough and was 20th.

    Would they develop the car more next year without Mick's damage costs? Of course. Will they be higher than 8th in the championship? Maybe, we'll have to find out in 2023 whether this direction is better.

    As for Audi, I thought that was 2026 when the new engine regs are coming into force. Could I see Schumacher there? Yeah I can actually.
  • DonBlanko's avatar
    DonBlanko
    Seasoned Scout
    3 years ago

    @Rapheal629Yeah I think that too, that his quali pace was not good enough. That is, what we have seen in F2 before. I think he never was on pole there. But he was consistent and had some wins and especially very good wheel to wheel racing there too.
    Nevertheless he hadn't enough time in my eyes. A verstappen crashed a lot too - and this over a lot of years! - before he went to Red Bull.
    But yeah alpha tauri or torro rosso had much more money then Haas and the budget cap didn't exist in this time.
    I think a younger driver has to do mistakes and has to find the limit. Therefor you need to go over the limit. Especially in this modern cars. 

    But sure, for Haas it was a risky way with two rookies. I understand the decision because Hülkenberg is a very expierenced, quick - and in my eyes - underrated driver. But Schumacher has some potential which we could see some times in this year. A williams team or even alfa romeo would have stayed with him for unlocking this potential. Because Schumacher was in the second half of the season - on my eyes - in case of pace on the same level or quicker like Magnussen. Magnussen just made it, when the chances were there. 

    Audi can be a chance 2024 because as I remember correctly, they have the rights to decide some things already from this year on.

  • Rapheal629's avatar
    Rapheal629
    3 years ago
    @DonBlanko See this is where my sympathy lies with Mick a little bit, although I think he'd never be on pole unless he had the car to do it, he had to sort of overdrove the Haas this year and I think this is why he smashed it to bits in Saudi, got squirrelly in the chicane, hopped the kerb and it was over in a blink of an eye, but he was massively fast at that point, easily Q3 appearance if I remember, but because Haas never bothered to rebuild a new chassis overnight (think there's still curfew as well perhaps that played into the decision), we never saw what Mick could've done in the race.

    Monaco was a weird one, he tickled the throttle and it snapped on him, when I watched the onboard I thought the suspension broke suddenly causing the crash, but it was just a sudden loss of traction on the wet stuff.

    Guenther and Gene were just so well... how can I put it politely? Gaslighting maybe, there are a lot of upset and angry Mick fans this weekend. What if Jose Capito finds out Logan Sargent doesn't finish in the top 5 or is it 6 for the SL points and has to go with another option... could Mick have a slim chance of filling that seat with Williams? Realistically though I think a year out potentially with Mercedes as a reserve and maybe Audi pulls some strings and signs Mick for 2024 maybe, he won't be in Ferrari anymore which I find upsetting, but it is what it is.

    One lap pace in the second half, Mick has outdone Magnussen 3 times out of 10 at the moment. I looked back at the spreadsheet I made an error on Canada, when corrected, on average Mick was in fact only 3 tenths on average off Kevin. Are there other drivers that have a smaller average.

    I knew at some point Hulkenberg was gonna return, but I didn't think it be at the expense of Mick.
  • DonBlanko's avatar
    DonBlanko
    Seasoned Scout
    3 years ago

    I have found an interesting comparison between Magnussen and Schumacher. This makes me feel, that I wasn't wrong with my impression, that Schumacher was the quicker Racer overall. (look at the chart on the right) Especially in the second half of the season. But built your own opinion.

    But for me Schumacher was at least as quick as Magnussen and has even in his second season the same potential like magnussen. I am very sure he could have been succesful in his 3rd season. Sadly we won't see it. 

  • ScarDuck14's avatar
    ScarDuck14
    Legend
    3 years ago
    @DonBlanko Think the main issue from HAAS point of view. With cost caps they stand just as much chance building a good car as other teams. Whereas before they had very little chance getting out off the bottom teams.

    But what they can’t have as they are one off the lower teams. Is wasting development budget rebuilding cars. I’m not surprised they went for hulk instead off stay with Schumi. His experience should help development and he will finish races.

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