It’s little coincidence that the three drivers who were compelled to leave the Formula 1 grid at the end of 2022 occupy the bottom three positions on the RaceFans driver rankings for the season.
But of the trio, Mick Schumacher perhaps has most reason to feel frustrated at not being offered another chance.
Schumacher’s rookie season at the highest level realistically amounted to little more than a year-long test session. With zero development on their 2021 car, Haas threw all of their available resources into their 2022 machine for the Formula 1’s new era.
While Schumacher could do little more than drive around at the rear of the field all season, he did at least have the benefit of a having a team mate whose skills behind the wheel were about as poor as his father was rich. Nikita Mazepin was no match for Schumacher, who out-performed him in every category to head into 2022 with the clear psychological advantage.
However, by the time Schumacher arrived in Bahrain for the opening race, it was not Mazepin who sat opposite him in the garage, but veteran Kevin Magnussen. Suddenly Schumacher had a true benchmark to compare himself against as well as someone experienced to work with to make the most of their extensively developed new car. A car that, as it turned out, was more than capable of scoring points.
But over the opening part of the season when the Haas was easily as its best, Schumacher simply failed to make the most of its potential. Over the first four rounds, Magnussen racked up 15 points, including a remarkable fifth place in Bahrain. In the same span, Schumacher did not record a single top 10 finish.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
The first major setback came in Jeddah. Schumacher’s ugly accident in qualifying was possibly the most violent impact suffered by any driver all season, destroying his car and earning him a trip to hospital. While he was thankfully deemed fit and well, his car was anything but. With so few spares on hand, Haas opted to sit Schumacher out of the race, leaving him merely a spectator as Magnussen took ninth to secure the team’s second consecutive points finish.
After a disappointing weekend for Haas in Melbourne, where Schumacher was at least able to pass Magnussen in the final laps to finish ahead, the second-year driver then endured what was likely his worst run of the season. In Imola, he qualified eight places behind Magnussen, then spun into
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…