“Nobody deserves to be in Formula 1,” Guenther Steiner rubbishes Toto Wolff’s biased criticism of Mick Schumacher’s Haas exit

Toto Wolff strongly condemned the Haas team principal for his management of Mick Schumacher during his time with them

Guenther Steiner hits back at Toto Wolff

Mick Schumacher raced for Haas in 2021 and 2022, and despite scoring points with the team in the latter season, his performances were sub-par, and he was shown the door at the end of it. This treatment of the German has laid scrutiny on Haas boss Guenther Steiner. Mick Schumacher has been announced as the reserve driver for Mercedes following his Haas exit and has been taken under the wing of Toto Wolff. The Mercedes boss has heavily criticized the treatment young Schumacher received at his former team, which Steiner has now addressed.

Steiner said, speaking to the SkySports F1 podcast, “What I have to say is, if my father would have been around, Toto wouldn’t have said the things he said, “ in response to Wolff claiming Schumacher would have been treated differently in his father’s presence. Steiner also explained the situation further, saying, “Obviously, he had the big crashes, which was very difficult to manage as well for the team because it was big damage. Which again you need to re-focus your budget on different things, as now with the budget cap you need to invest money in performance.”

The Haas boss also justified his decision by insisting, “It wasn’t easy, but racing is not easy and coming up for young guys in Formula 1 is very tough, and nobody deserves to be in Formula 1. You need to perform.” He also spoke of the pressure from outside mounted on him to manage Mick Schumacher due to the prestige of his last name.

FS Video

Guenther Steiner also mentioned how all the scrutiny regarding the German star’s exit fell upon him, while he was given no praise and credit for guiding the youngster to his first-ever points in the sport. He emphasized the responsibility of the team to provide a good car and that of the driver to drive well to score points and avoid a crash.

Mick Schumacher’s family prestige put pressure on Haas

Mick Schumacher is a graduate of the Ferrari Academy and a former F2 champion. His father, revered legend Michael Schumacher is a household name and has been an icon in the motorsport world. Naturally, when his son has entered the pinnacle of motorsport, some pressures and expectations come associated with the family name.

Mick Schumacher’s time at Haas was a difficult one, given his inexperience and the mediocrity of the car he was driving. His first season was the worst it could have been, scoring no points and finishing at the bottom of the standings. He managed to score 12 points in 2022 and finished 17^th, showing slight improvement.

Mick Schumacher will miss the Saudi Arabian GP after a huge accident in qualifying.

That Mick is physically well after the crash is another reminder of the strength and safety of modern F1 cars for which we are incredibly thankful#SaudiArabianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/qhLcw0elb7
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 26, 2022

The last season came with a big price, however, with the superstar crashing out several times, causing the team immense repair costs. Steiner has revealed that money in excess of $2 million was spent on repairs alone, courtesy of Schumacher’s crashes in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Monaco.

A team like Haas, with a lower budget than the rest of the grid, cannot afford to spend such exorbitant amounts on repairs, given the importance that development holds. Steiner also believes Schumacher couldn’t “appreciate the gravity of the situation”. He also believes he cannot have a driver he is not confident in to take the team forward.

?: Guenther Steiner's relationship with Ralf Schumacher has soured due to Mick's stint at the team. Even after Mick's departure, Ralf continues to defend him and mock Steiner in the media. Steiner confirmed he no longer interacts with Ralf or Mick, adding that he respects Mick's… pic.twitter.com/dtpggldKfJ
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) April 18, 2023

With any other driver, how the situation was handled would have stood as regulation, but given Schumacher’s heritage, the outcome was perceived differently. When he was ousted, Steiner was heaped with criticism for his management of the star and was accused of not nurturing the rookie properly in his initial years.

Schumacher is now a reserve driver for Mercedes, the team his father formerly raced for. He is not on the grid for 2023, but undoubtedly aims to be a competitor in 2024, rather than a spectator. Being taken under the wing of Toto Wolff will reap its benefits, as already seen with Englishman George Russell. Schumacher’s career will be followed with great interest by his future teams.