F1 News: Mattia Binotto unsure on Mick Schumacher’s Haas future

Mick Schumacher’s future in F1 is still undecided, as Haas continues to delay committing to its driver lineup for 2023.

Schumacher’s weekend in Monza was troubled from the beginning, as his VF-22 experienced reliability issues in both FP2 and FP3.

Haas allowed Antonio Giovinazzi to run in Schumacher’s car in first practice, so the German driver found himself underprepared ahead of qualifying.

There have been rumours circulating about Mick Schumacher’s position in the Ferrari Driver Academy for weeks, with the paddock consensus being that he is unlikely to continue with the academy next season.

Mattia Binotto has offered little information about Schumacher’s F1 future, suggesting that the next step is far from a straightforward renewal.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Binotto made no guarantees about his future:

“It was another unfortunate weekend for Mick. He had problems with the car and couldn’t drive much before qualifying, which is hard to start from the back.”

“We still have a few races; then we’ll sit down with Haas and hopefully find the best decision for him and his future.”

When asked directly by Sky Germany’s Peter Hardenacke if Mick Schumacher deserves a seat in 2023, Binotto did not answer.

There is now a three-week wait for the next Grand Prix in Singapore, so it is almost certain there will be some activity in the market.

Guenther Steiner was pleased with Mick Schumacher’s performance in Monza, saying, “Mick did a fantastic job to get P12 considering his lack of time on track this weekend.”

However, the Haas team principal has previously hesitated about committing to who will drive alongside Kevin Magnussen next year.

Steiner has pointed out the areas where Schumacher needs to improve to earn a new contract, and if the 23-year-old did not receive an offer before Monza, the American team might need more convincing in upcoming rounds.

Haas has several options available on the market this year, and they seem pleased to bide their time before making a decision.

Still, at least for now, it does not appear that Schumacher can rely on Ferrari’s support moving forward in his career.