Mick Schumacher is a Mercedes reserve at present.

Guenther Steiner has responded to allegations that his Haas team mistreated Mick Schumacher, despite Formula 1 fan concerns. Formula 1: Drive to Survive footage rҽvealed that tensions between the two increased prior to their separation.

Haas signed Nico Hulkenberg at the close of last season to replace Schumacher, a decision that was months in the making. It was determined that a more seasoned driver would be advantageous, as Schumacher struggled to build his name with Haas.

The German was involved in a number of costly accidents, prompting Haas to decide not to extend his contract. However, this decision was not made public until the team was the last on the grid to declare their driver lineup for this season. Due to the lack of available seats, Schumacher was left without a team for several months.

Members of the Haas team were accused of bullγing because of how they spoke about Schumacher and criticized him following poor performances, as evidenced by footage from the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive. Nonetheless, Steiner has vehemently refuted these allegations and stated that heated exchanges are “not uncommon” in the sport.

“There was nothing out of the norm,” he told RTL. After all, he was our driver, so there’s no reason for us to mistreat him. If we desire to decide anything, we are not required to do so.

“I can also fully comprehend Mick’s admirers. Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, you may say something you would not say an hour later, but it was in no way bullγing.”

Mercedes eventually signed Schumacher to be their reserve driver behind Lewis Hamilton, but he is waiting to see if other chances occur in 2024 that would allow him to race more frequently and play a more significant role on a team.

Since Schumacher’s departure, Steiner and Schumacher have not maintained frequent touch, though their relationship remains cordial. Last month, while in the paddock for preseason testing in Bahrain, the pair did greet one another and exchange a few awkward words.

“I greeted him when I saw him last weekend,” explained Steiner. We did not exchange any words. Because of the distance between the paddock and the restrooms, we don’t frequently run into each other.”

Lewis Hamilton may have ruled out Max Verstappen hopes as Mercedes ‘a long way off’ rivals

This season, Lewis Hamilton may not be able to compete Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton has suggested that he will be unable to battle Max Verstappen for the Formula One championship this year, as Mercedes are “a long way behind” their competitors. During FP1 and FP2 for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows struggled while Aston Martin and Red Bull dominated the early pace.

Hamilton and Mercedes appeared to be suffering in the early practice sessions, with the British driver languishing in eighth place during FP2 qualifying run simulations. Teammate George Russell had greater issues and was almost a full second behind Fernando Alonso in thirteenth place.

Mercedes had hoped to be challenging at the front of the grid again in 2023 following a disɑstrous 2022, but Hamilton has provided a sobering update as he looks to reclaim the championship from Verstappen.

“We learned we had a long way to go,” he told reporters following the session. “We kind of knew that from the test, but it’s a significant difference.

“I’m doing everything I can out there, but Red Bull is half a second faster on the long runs, based on my observations. Hence, we have a lot of work to do.

“I believe the car is in the best possible location. Setup-wise, we can continue to modify a little bit here and there, but it will be milliseconds’ worth of adjustments.

“It will not be a matter of closing the second-long gap [to Red Bull]. But, we will keep our heads down tonight, review the data, continue working, and attempt to make progress tomorrow. But we must determine if there is any method to achieve overnight performance.

“Do I believe we can eventually close the gap? Yes. Nonetheless, I believe it is extremely difficult with the current paradigm.”

Alonso set the pace for one lap, being the first driver to do a lap in less than 1:31 midway through the practice. Nonetheless, Red Bull appeared to have the strongest race pace, with Verstappen turning in the most consistent laps.

Hamilton reckons Mercedes may finish as low as fourth in race trim, admitting that he believes the car has regressed since last season.

“I believed Ferrari was second, but I believe we are fairly near to Ferrari on the long runs,” he remarked. “It appears that the Aston is in second place and we are between third and fourth, so we are roughly in the same position as last year, if not slightly behind. Yet, we are now on the incorrect track, therefore we must continue to work diligently to correct our course. Currently, however, we’re a considerable distance behind the front-runners.”

Mercedes plans to introduce additional enhancements early in the season, but they may not be enough to help the team fight for the championship this year.