Mick Schumacher has blamed the visibility in 2022-spec Formula 1 cars for his collision with Nicholas Latifi in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. On Lap 39 of 58 of the race at the Yas Marina Circuit, Schumacher attempted an overtake on Latifi's Williams at the Turn 5 hairpin with both running outside the points positions at the time. As Latifi turned in, the Haas of Schumacher collided with the Canadian, causing both to spin and the Williams to hit the barrier. The German - who was announced as losing his seat for 2023 earlier in the weekend - was deemed at fault for causing a collision by the stewards and handed a five-second time penalty.
Schumacher explains Latifi crash
When asked about the collision, Schumacher commented on the reasons he believed the incident was difficult to avoid. "In general with these cars you don't really have a big overview of what is happening in your surroundings," he explained to media, including RacingNews365.com , after finishing P16 and one lap down. "The car and the tyres are super high, and the steering wheel is in your face. "I think he out-braked himself a bit, went wide and then came back onto the track. "I didn't expect that to be fair - and I simply didn't see him. "It was frustrating at the end, I still managed to get some good laps in, but by the end the tyres were gone."
Schumacher unfazed by time penalty
The 2020 Formula 2 champion - who is tipped to become the Mercedes reserve driver in '23 - admitted that he "didn't care" about the penalty and rued not executing a strong weekend on his part. "On one lap, things always look a bit different, because as a driver you can really get everything out of it," he explained. "In the race, it's a bit more difficult, though. "You have different components, winds change, the tyres, the tools, the systems: everything has to be perfect to get the best out of the race. "It simply wasn't the case [in the Abu Dhabi weekend]."
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