As Mick Schumacher prepares to make his Formula 1 debut in Bahrain and prove his worth across the course of the season, Haas is assembling itself for what could be its toughest year yet in the championship.
The team opted not to spend its two development tokens on this year’s VF-21, while it has also indicated that it will not develop the car during the campaign, placing its limited resources on its 2022 challenger.
Haas is fixed to race at the back of the grid this year, and does not expect to be consistently knocking on the door of the top 10 throughout the season.
“If we can get a point or two at some stage – that would be a fantastic result,” said Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner. “But we are realistic, and points will be hard to come by. As long as we learn, we improve, and can get back to where we were in the past – I’m happy. It’s going to be a hard climb this season, but we will get something good out of it, we always do.”
But Schumacher is far from the first Formula 2 champion to get his Formula 1 opportunity at the lower end of the grid – and his immediate predecessors can provide lessons on how to impress.
In 2018, Ferrari-backed Charles Leclerc joined Sauber after the Swiss squad ended the 2017 campaign bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with five points in total.
The following year, George Russell made his debut for Williams, which was still continuing on the downward spiral that gathered pace in 2018.
In spite of their predicaments Leclerc and Russell impressed in a manner that left their reputations bolstered.
Leclerc’s first campaign in F1 came after a dominant display in F2, winning the championship by a colossal 72 points, having at times been a second faster than his opposition.
Leclerc’s initial foray into Formula 1 was not rosy, as he was out-qualified by team-mate Marcus Ericsson at the opening pair of rounds, and was equally unimpressive in race trim, the nadir being a spin in China. But Leclerc realised at round four in Azerbaijan that a change in approach was required, modifying his approach and style to Sauber’s C37, rather than the other way around. It led to sixth in the race and kick-started his rookie campaign in style.
Leclerc got the better of Ericsson at each of the following nine qualifying sessions and impressed in race trim with some stellar displays in the midfield, amassing 13 points to Ericsson’s five. That form continued after the summer break and he was out-paced by Ericsson just once in the second half of the schedule, capping his rookie campaign with a trio of seventh places. Ferrari had long since tied him to a 2019 seat, and by the end of his first year in red he emerged as Ferrari’s future star, contracted through 2024. Leclerc grew as a person, becoming less intimidated by the size of Formula 1 teams – and the expectation – having initially been on the shy side.
It’s a high bar that Leclerc set, not just for F2 champions and graduates, but also for the Ferrari Driver Academy, which Schumacher joined prior to 2019. Leclerc is the proof that Ferrari’s young driver scheme has its desired outcome – and also outlines to Schumacher that there can be a front-running opportunity should he deliver.
There are off-track parallels too. In 2018 – and even since – Leclerc was deeply self-critical, while also wary that being a key component of a unified team would work in his favour. Encouragingly Schumacher shares similar traits, pointing to his excitement at being part of a hard-working group, and even relishing aspects of Formula 1 that can seem a chore – such as his seat-fit.
But Schumacher’s maiden year in F1 will be coupled with a car that is likely to be significantly less competitive than Leclerc’s 2018 Sauber. Leclerc was able to achieve Q3 appearances and 39 points out of his maiden campaign, with his growth coinciding with strong in-season development for Sauber, which went from the back-row to midfield force. Even getting off the mark in 2021 may be challenging for Schumacher.
However, it’s an obstacle that Russell has so far navigated in such impressive form, to the extent that Lewis Hamilton has labelled the 23-year-old as a future World Champion.
After his impressive march to the 2018 F2 title, Russell landed in F1 right in the middle of a Williams crisis. With its pre-season programme delayed by two days due to an incomplete car and its technical director Paddy Lowe swiftly placed on a terminal leave of absence, it was a distraction that not many drivers, especially rookies, need to start a new year.
From the outset, it was clear that Russell was the driver upon which Williams could rely. Paired up with the returning Robert Kubica, Russell commanded the head-to-head qualifying battle, getting the better of Kubica at all 19 events during the year. Although Williams’ one point that year came courtesy of Kubica at a rain infested German Grand Prix, it was Russell who had impressed across the season, with his consistent results and ability to keep the car out of the barriers.
Off-track, Russell remained level-headed and cut a mature figure, staying grounded and realistic while watching F2 rivals Lando Norris and Alexander Albon fighting further up the grid. Even from the outset any frustration was tempered and instead, Russell provided Williams with constructive criticism, realising he had to be part of a long-term solution, rather than look for culprits. That analytical and responsible approach ultimately yielded dividends during his starring Bahrain stand-in display at Mercedes and means, even as he prepares for a probable low-key 2021, he has outlined his potential for 2022 and beyond.
It may be the same aspiration that Schumacher looks to accomplish this year. Traditionally, the German has warmed into a series during his second year – if that is also the case for F1, it may be a blessing that he will be present at the back of the field with a weak car, to mask any potential struggles. It also means that any standout display will be noted.
Ultimately, comparison will be drawn against team-mate and fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin. The two were rivals in karting, Formula 3 and Formula 2, with Schumacher champion last year, and Mazepin fifth. It gives Schumacher a beatable target, and getting the better of Mazepin will be the yardstick on which he will be judged in 2021.
Leclerc and Russell emerged as stars of the future even amid limitations in their rookie campaigns. Their first-year performances prove to Schumacher that there is potential to standout even at the back of the field.
