Mick Schumacher’s crash on ‘slow lap’ in Japan was final straw, says Guenther Steiner

Gunether Steiner has revealed that a crash on a ‘slow lap’ in Japan last October was the final straw as he dropped Mick Schumacher from a race seat at Haas.

Schumacher joined Haas as a rookie in 2021 but only scored his first points last year at Silverstone as he struggled for consistency, particularly in 2022 compared to team-mate Kevin Magnussen.

The 24-year-old, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, also cost his team a lot of money in repairs after high-cost shunts in Saudi Arabia and Monaco.

But it was a crash on an ‘in-lap’ at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka which sent team boss Steiner over the edge, as he reveals in his new book Surviving to Drive.

“It happened on the f****** in-lap,” Steiner said.

“On the in-lap! Sure, it was very wet out there on the track, but nobody else managed to write off a car while they were driving back to the pits.

“We lose a car after five minutes and now have to build another. I cannot have a driver who I am not confident can take a car around safely on a slow lap.

“It’s just f****** ridiculous. How many people could we employ with $700,000? And I have to now find that money.”

Schumacher cost Haas an estimated $2million in repairs last year.

He was dropped for Nico Hulkenberg and has since moved to Mercedes as a reserve driver for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

The German will also have the opportunity to fill in at McLaren should Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri be unavailable on a race weekend.

Schumacher has been in around the F1 paddock this year and has attended every race so far, as he eyes a route back into the sport in 2024.

Guenther Steiner’s new book, Surviving to Drive: A year inside Formula 1, is out now