Scuderia Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto confirmed that the Formula 1 future of Ferrari Driver Academy member Mick Schumacher will be discussed with Haas in the next few weeks, after the recent rumours regarding the possibility that Mick may have to leave Ferrari Driver Academy to pursue other opportunities as he attempts to remain on the grid for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
The Ferrari junior had a difficult start to the current championship and did not seem able to match his new teammate and Formula 1 returnee Kevin Magnussen in the first part of the campaign, also being involved in some high-speed crashes at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit and on the streets of Monte Carlo, which led to some public criticism from Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, who started to question his future with the American team.
Despite the fact that Mick Schumacher’s form did subsequently improve midway through the tear, with the German securing his first Formula 1 points at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring, he still remains behind Kevin Magnussen by 12 points in the Drivers’ standings, with six races until the end of the 2022 Formula 1 championship.
In an interview at the end of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto confirmed that Mick Schumacher still has to improve, explaining that a decision regarding his future at both Haas and as part of Ferrari’s Driver Academy would be made in the next few weeks:
“The Ferrari Driver Academy is a very important pillar of our team and we’ll continue investing a lot in it. We believe it’s important to develop the best talent and look for the future, to try to find the best talent for [Ferrari]. With Mick, as we said at the start of the season, it’s important for Mick this season to improve. We will in a few races sit down with him, make a balance of the season, and we’ll do that as well together with Haas and decide his best future.” – the Ferrari boss said.
As Mick Schumacher‘s future with the Maranello team remains uncertain for now, Mattia Binotto also wanted to praise the ability of Ferrari’s current test driver Robert Shwartzman.
The Russo-Israeli racing driver last competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for 2020 and 2021 where he finished 4th and 2nd respectively, has not raced competitively in 2022, instead preferring to focus on his testing tasks for the Maranello team. Yet despite a lack of on track action this year, Mattia Binotto believes Robert Shwartzman has nevertheless become a more complete driver than last season. At the same time, the Ferrari boss confirmed the 22-year-old would drive for Ferrari in two free practice sessions later in the season:
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“Robert is a fantastic driver. Whenever he drove an F1 [car] he has been very fast. There are drivers that maybe are great in F3, F2 and then are not good enough in F1. I think Robert is the opposite. He has been great certainly in F3, F2 but he’s very, very strong in F1, and it’s a shame for him not having [a race] seat at the moment. This season, he has worked a lot at the simulator, helping our team in developing the current car. I think, as a driver, he has improved, he has developed his own skills and today he’s a lot more mature, even to a year ago, and so I think he’s a driver that would deserve a [race] seat. We know it’s very difficult right now in this situation, but hopefully in the future that may happen.” – Mattia Binotto concluded.
