Haas expects Schumacher to follow second year improvement pattern

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner expects F1 rookie Mick Schumacher to follow his usual pattern of undergoing a first year of learning before ramping up his performance in his second season.

Schumacher – the 21-year-old son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher – steps up to F1 this season with the aim of following in his legendary father’s footsteps.

However, the young German is keeping his expectations in check, setting his sights on serving his apprenticeship by learning the ropes with a conservative approach, an attitude typical of the young gun’s modus operandi since he started racing.

And Schumacher’s methodical procedure, which helped him secure championship titles in his second years in F3 and F2, is exactly what Steiner is expecting.

“I haven’t worked with him yet. But when you look at his results, the first season was always… not bad, okay. But he always struck the second season,” said Steiner, quoted by Motorsport-Total.com.

“I think that’s because in the first season he analyses what he can do better and then in the second he does it, instead of trying to put his head through the wall in the first season.

“He is very cool about not having to show in the first season that he even belongs here. That’s exactly what I’m aiming for.

“The first year we go as a learning year, we know that. It will be a transition year. Then in the second year we want to get the best out of the boys.”

Schumacher, who will race at Haas this year alongside fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin, admits that his slow lead-ins in the past weren’t necessarily part of his game plan, but rather the reflection of his need to supply himself with all the knowledge required to master his trade.

“Of course, it is not always my goal to always race for two years,” said the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Champion. “I’ve always felt I like to know everything, to get as much information as I can.

“Just so that if I need something in a race situation or in a situation with the engineers, I’m 100% sure what to do next.”