Mick Schumacher believes that the added pressure of having Kevin Magnussen as his new teammate in 2022 will be beneficial for him. The German outperformed Nikita Mazepin at Haas last year, in what was the rookie campaign for both drivers. Mazepin has now exited the team, and Magnussen - who previously raced for the American outfit between 2017 and 2020 - has made a surprise F1 comeback to fill his space. Schumacher and Magnussen were both in action at the recent pre-season test in Bahrain, and the younger driver believes that the Dane's return has had a positive effect on the whole team, himself included. "It's definitely beneficial for me and for the team," Schumacher told media including RacingNews365.com . "He's been part of it for four years, then obviously had a one year break now. Everybody likes him in the team. I think the emotion and the feeling in the team is really good. "And yeah, he's a good reference, so it's only positive for now."
Schumacher admits Magnussen return creates 'pressure'
With Magnussen bringing several years of experience to the squad, Schumacher thinks that this is something he can benefit from. However, he also admits that measuring himself against his new teammate has an added pressure with it, and this is a challenge that the German is looking forward to. "I think that obviously I can benefit from his experience, and also I think he's a good benchmark," Schumacher explained. "Now I have the opportunity to kind of measure myself and have the pressure, and kind of try and deliver under pressure, too."
'Progress' at Haas seen during testing
It was not an ideal start to testing in Bahrain for Haas, with the team forced to miss the opening morning session due to freight delays. However, they were granted permission to make up for the time missed by having the extra hours added on to subsequent sessions on Day 2 and Day 3. Magnussen caused a surprise by setting the fastest time on Friday in Haas' evening running, whilst Schumacher set the second quickest lap on Saturday's timesheets at the end of the day. Schumacher was left feeling positive before getting in the car on Day 3, having said that "the progress is definitely there". He also welcomed Magnussen's input so far, adding: "He's brought really good stuff into the team."
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