Bad results, accidents, rumours: Mick Schumacher's start in Formula 1 was anything but easy. Almost everything has been going well for the 23-year-old for a few weeks now. The result of continuous development.
Mick Schumacher is driving his best results in Formula 1
Mick Schumacher couldn't help but smile hours after the race. He patiently fulfilled autograph requests, posed for fan photos and received congratulations. Shortly before, the 23-year-old had achieved the best result of his career at the Austrian Grand Prix. The sixth place in Spielberg symbolizes the upswing of Schumacher, whose position in Formula 1 has changed massively within a few weeks. “I'm completely satisfied,” said the German, who drives for the US team “Haas” in the pinnacle of motorsport.
After eighth place at the British Grand Prix, the native of Switzerland has now finished in the points in two races in a row – after having failed to achieve this sense of achievement 30 times in a row. Both Schumacher and his teammate Kevin Magnussen have both been in the top 10 twice in a row. In Austria, Haas was even the fourth-best team behind Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes. So how do you explain the upswing?
Haas' upswing
Actually, the car is still where it was at the start of the season in Bahrain. The first updates are for financial reasons only planned for the race in Hungary at the end of July. And yet there is a plausible explanation for the sudden and significant increase in performance. “The main reason is that we know the car better and better,” said Schumacher in Spielberg. “There is still potential in the car that we can develop.”
Mick's father, Michael Schumacher, celebrates his victory at Hockenheim in 2006
“We had a strong car at the beginning of the season, we might have gotten a little lost in the set-up,” continued the 23-year-old. “But now we're back to a very good set-up where other people might have issues with their package. All of that contributes to this result.”
Schumacher's good performances in recent weeks have not gone unnoticed by the spectators and the competition. The Formula 1 fans in Austria voted him Driver of the Day by a wide margin. Mercedes sporting director Toto Wolff praised him to the skies after the race: “Mick drove superbly, defended well, but always stayed sporty. I'm glad to see that, he's a good young man.”
Not many had believed Schumacher capable of this development this year. And this despite the fact that the son of seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael also celebrated his greatest successes in the junior classes in his second year. However, the resistance this season seemed to be too great. After the German entered Formula 1 in 2021, he constantly drove behind the field. His car wasn't competitive, and with every bad result the pressure increased – not least because of his big surname. Accidents, failures, poor placements, criticism from outside and within the team followed.
Arrived at rock bottom
At the beginning of June, after the race in Baku, it even looked as if the former Formula 2 world champion had reached an absolute low point in the premier class of motorsport after many setbacks in his first year and a half. Some media have already discussed whether he could be replaced at Haas and disappear from Formula 1. The public criticism of his team boss Günther Steiner fueled the discussions. “It's not an easy situation for Mick and the team,” said Steiner. “This is competitive sport. And what do you have to do there? Perform.” Steiner called for a balance between minimizing risk, getting the car to the finish line without damage and performing well. Schumacher seems to have found it now.
Mick Schumacher after his serious accident in Monaco
In addition to the improved interaction between car and driver, he also cites his mental strength as the reason for the recent sharp improvement in form. “I absorbed the critics' negative energy and turned it into positive energy. That really did me a lot,” Schumacher explained his recipe for success after the race in Spielberg. This newly won self-confidence is also evident on the racetrack. In Silverstone he even attacked the reigning world champion Max Verstappen, in Austria he dueled with Lewis Hamilton, whom he even overtook on the track.
So instead of having to worry about his future, some teams are now likely to be interested in the services of the German. Many Formula 1 fans dream of seeing Mick Schumacher in the Ferrari cockpit at some point. In the car in which his father Michael won five world titles and became a legend. But first, Mick has another goal – the podium. Maybe we'll succeed at the next race in France.