Exclusive: Steiner hits back at Schumacher F1 axe claims

Guenther Steiner has hit back at claims he tried to force Mick Schumacher out of F1 after dropping him from Haas.

Schumacher, the 2020 F2 champion, debuted in grand prix racing in 2021 with Haas when Steiner was team principal, and was retained for 2022 alongside the returning Kevin Magnussen after Nikita Mazepin was sacked on the eve of the new season. 

Schumacher failed to beat Magnussen, scored points on only two occasions, and suffered multiple heavy crashes, causing millions of pounds of damage. He was replaced by Nico Hulkenberg in 2023.

The younger German then joined Mercedes as a reserve driver. He has driven for that team, and also McLaren, in Pirelli tyre testing, whilst he is also part of Alpine's WEC programme.

Although keen for a return to F1, there is only one seat remaining on the 2025 grid outside of the Red Bull eco-system - alongside Hulkenberg at Stake.

It is understood incumbent Valtteri Bottas will be retained, meaning Schumacher will not be on the grid until 2026 at the earliest, so facing a minimum of three seasons out of F1.

Whilst conceding Schumacher faces an uphill task, Steiner has also responded to suggestions he wanted the German out of F1.  

"It will be difficult to find a spot, but I think it would be good because he wants to prove something," Steiner exclusively told RacingNews365 when asked about the possibility of a return.

"If he gets a chance, I'm more than happy, because I was told that I wanted him out of Formula 1, which is not true. 

"I had no ambition of that, because I'm not against people, but it is difficult now as he has been out for three years. 

"He doesn't have five or 10 seasons' of experience. He had two seasons which were mediocre so it is difficult to get him in."

Haas's 2021 mistake

Owing to financial concerns at Haas, for 2021, both Magnussen and Romain Grosjean were jettisoned for the rookie pair of Schumacher and Mazepin. 

However, Steiner recognises the line-up was ill-matched.

"I didn't have a choice and beggars can't be choosers," Steiner replied when asked if Schumacher, or Mazepin, would have been better suited to have an experienced driver alongside them in their 2021 rookie campaigns. 

"I had to do what I had to do, but for sure it would have been better for either Nikita or Mick to develop better with having an experienced driver next to them because there is a reference there.

"And for the team as well, they didn't know what to tell the guys where they needed to improve, but they could have had a set of data from a guy who you know how good he is."