Kevin Magnussen never doubted Mick Schumacher’s points-scoring potential

Kevin Magnussen has insisted he always had faith in Mick Schumacher scoring his first F1 points – simply because his Haas team-mate has “got it”.

What the Dane is referring to is Schumacher’s talent, which should never really have been in doubt having won both the Formula 3 and 2 Championships a couple of years apart in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

But this season, doubts have started to creep in about the German’s potential in F1 for a triumvirate of reasons – a series of crashes, being soundly beaten on several occasions by his new colleague Magnussen and, frustratingly, extending his total of point-less races to 31.

But none of those were applicable in the British Grand Prix as Schumacher, despite starting 19th on the grid, came through to finish eighth – two places ahead of Magnussen – and even challenging Max Verstappen, the reigning World Champion, for P7 at the end, up against a damaged Red Bull.

Thank you🤍 #MSC47 pic.twitter.com/JdXL9JIKKQ

— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) July 3, 2022

Schumacher is enjoying a more harmonious working relationship with Magnussen than with Nikita Mazepin last year – and his more experienced team-mate appeared genuinely happy to see the 23-year-old get off the mark as Haas ended a poor run of form in style.

“For the team, it will be great,” Magnussen told Formula 1. “They know the car has been good and everyone has been a little down about the last couple of races, but there have also been some things that just didn’t go our way and that’s how things go sometimes.

“But for Mick it will be a confidence boost, I’m sure. He’s had a bit of a tough start to the year. I’ve certainly been able to see, from the data I compare with, that he’s got it.

“I told everyone it would be fine, that he would get there, and today he showed it.”

Magnussen finished 10th, his fifth points finish of the year including the Imola sprint race, and he felt it could have been even better but for making the wrong call himself to stay out instead of stopping for fresh tyres under the Safety Car as the race entered its final quarter.

“The Safety Car came out and I think I made the wrong choice by staying out, that was my decision,” admitted Magnussen.

“But we [would have been] double-stopping and I thought I would be coming out last and I didn’t want to do that.

“Anyway, it’s good. We got both cars in the points and that’s a great day for the team.”