Mick Schumacher says that young drivers don’t get enough time to grow in Formula 1, a declaration that Haas team boss Guenther Steiner agrees with.
Schumacher was dropped at the end of the 2022 season by the US-owned team following two years at the stable.
His second campaign was marred by heavy crashes in the early stages of the year, with Haas publicly upping the pressure on his shoulders as the season wore on.
The German has been replaced by compatriot Nico Hulkenberg, who returns to the sport after two years on the sidelines.
Haas has highlighted that Hulkenberg’s experience was an overruling factor in its driver line-up decision as it targets a return to stable competition.
“I think he’s right,” Steiner said of Schumacher’s claim. “I mean in racing two years is pretty good time but there is nothing before.
“You jump straight from F2 to F1, the competition, because there is no testing.
“I fully agree and as you can see, we reverted back to get the experience a driver which wasn’t in the car since three years, or not full time, call it like this, in a car.”
Steiner highlighted the risk that McLaren is taking with Oscar Piastri, as it opted to sign the 2021 Formula 2 Champion despite a year on the sidelines with no on-track competition to keep his senses sharp.
“The young drivers, you cannot really evaluate or you take big risks, like I mean McLaren takes on Piastri,” Steiner said.
“But in the end nobody knows how good he will be in an F1 car. He was very good in F3 and F2 but that doesn’t mean it’s still a big step to F1.
“So obviously I think it is a little bit of a… I wouldn’t say a problem, it’s one of these things, how much risk you want to take to get a rookie in the car.”
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