Will Nico Hulkenberg steal the Haas drive from Mick Schumacher?

Mick Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg have emerged as the two contenders for the Haas F1 seat

The Haas F1 team has had a rough couple of years in Formula 1. First, the team’s bad stints with two different title sponsors, Rich Energy and Uralkali. Damaging the reputation of an already financially struggling team. However, with the team’s improvement in 2022 along with the arrival of new title sponsor MoneyGram in 2023, the future seems to be on the positive side for the American team.

The Haas team previously also had trouble with its drivers, like the infamous pair of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, where the duo were not shy of getting into each other’s way or being involved in incidents with other cars. The all-rookie driver lineup for 2020 consisting of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin did not help the team’s prospects as both drivers struggled to finish races in a hard-to-drive car and Mazepin failed to match his teammate.

YouTube video — Team boss Gunther Steiner has had a tough time managing drivers over the years

Currently, Haas will continue with Kevin Magnussen for 2023 after Dane’s pleasant comeback to the sport. With financial stability in the team for the long term ensured, the team is now ready to focus on achieving results and being at the top of the midfield. However, the second seat in the team, currently being driven by Mick Schumacher is still up for grabs. The only vacant seat left in F1 for next season.

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“For me it’s no longer about one race, one lap,” – Guenther Steiner, Team Principal Haas F1 team

Haas has been on the grid since 2016 but failed to regularly be at the top of the midfield

Mick Schumacher has failed to secure the seat for next year, after failing to match his new teammate Kevin Magnussen, where the German was out-raced and out-qualified by his more experienced teammate. As such even after being one of the most anticipated young drivers in the sport, Mick is on the verge of being knocked out of the grid. Another drawback for Mick is his exit from the Ferrari driver academy, Ferrari is a key partner and engine supplier for the American team.

Nico Hulkenberg has been seen as a viable contender for the Haas seat. He was also in consideration as a replacement for Nikita Mazepin for 2022 but was beaten to it by Magnussen. The German is currently a reserve driver for Aston Martin and brings in 10 years of F1 experience. Steiner has always appreciated the experience as compared to young raw talent. According to reports, despite the underwhelming results, Schumacher is still considered the favorite for the seat but Haas boss Steiner recently confessed that it was a “50-50” chance for the young German to stay at the team.

Gunther has also said, “For me it’s no longer about one race, one lap,” he continued, “For me, it’s about what’s best for the Haas team in the medium to long term. “It’s about who leads the team stably into the future”. The team boss told German outlet RTL that the team was only considering Mick Schumacher and Nico Hulkenberg for the seat. Steiner explained the team’s need to have drivers who can lead the team for the future, “Mick has got some experience, obviously, it’s his second year in Formula 1,” he said. “But is that enough to take the team forward? We need leadership in this position. And these are all the things I evaluate, that’s the most important thing. How can we take the team forward?”

Nico Hulkenberg or Mick Schumacher? Who is the front-runner?

The team already has signed Kevin Magnussen for the long term

Keeping in mind the main objective of the American team- the need for leadership for the medium to long term. We have two drivers; Mick, a young less experienced driver with great potential and Nico, a vastly more experienced driver but with not a lot of room for improvement. This makes the decision for Gene Haas’s team rather difficult.

On one hand, keeping Schumacher will ensure that the Team has one of the most promising young drivers on the grid, who once honed enough can definitely be fighting for wins. But this comes at the cost of experience, two seasons is not adequate to be in a leading role for an F1 team. Couple this with his recent poor performances, and Haas might need to bear with patience if they decide to stick to him. A better decision, in the long run, is at the expense of the lack of leadership and experience. Also, there is always a chance of Mick moving to a big team in the future.

Now, on the other hand, hiring Nico Hulkenberg can indeed fulfil the team’s need for a more stable and experienced driver lineup, with a driver who has 10 years of experience and knows the in and outs of the sport. Someone who can certainly lead the team and build the car around him. But there are also concerns, the first being his age, he is 35 now, and he’ll be 36 racing next year. Can he actually keep racing for the team in the long term, say for 4 seasons? Apart from that, however, his “super sub” performances are a testimony to his talent.

From our point of view, Haas is now in a place where it can focus on the long term, where it does not have to deal with shady sponsors or underperforming drivers to survive. The team can put itself and play out a plan where it solidifies itself on the grid and score consistently. And for this we believe, Nico Hulkenberg will be the wiser choice. He can help build the team, be consistent and not be prone to incidents, ticking all the necessary boxes.