F1 News: Mick Schumacher Slams Nikita Mazepin As Kevin Magnussen Replaces Him At Haas
Mick Schumacher did incredibly during his first year in F1 and fans were more than pleased to see the Schumacher name back on the grid in the pinnacle of motorsport. It’s fair to say he was the leading driver of the Haas team, but with Nikita Mazepin to compare to, how did the driver know he was actually doing well?
It’s not like Mazepin actually put up a fight on the grid, with him famously coming 21st out of 20 cars. And now, Schumacher has slammed the Russian driver on this subject.
Because of Nikita’s lack of competition, you could say that Schumacher wasn’t as praised for his driving in the Haas as he should have been. But now with Kevin Magnussen joining him in the team, he has a serious driver to compare himself to.
“Now I do have a reference,” Schumacher told the press, throwing a backhander at his ex-teammate.
“Which is good. It’s not only about just driving but you have to put everything together to succeed. That’s what Formula 1 essentially is, you want to be under pressure, you want to be able to perform under pressure.
“And to have that sort of pressure now also within the team is quite positive.”
Now, Schumacher needs to show Haas that he can still win against Magnussen, because let’s face it, even Magnussen was out of a seat for a year. And however much we try not to compare, we will always be comparing Schumacher to Schumacher.
Magnussen also weighed in on the competition:
“It’s the first time that I kind of feel like the older driver,” he joked.
“I’ve never tried that before! It’s exciting.
“He [Schumacher] is going to be super-motivated, and you can very easily feel that he is super-focused.
“He’s a Formula 2 champion, he’s going to be very strong. So I’m looking forward to learning from him and working with him.”
Schumacher says: “We should both benefit from each other and bring the team forwards. That’s what matters right now.”
Schumacher has admitted that the two racers haven’t spoken “directly”, but “I think indirectly we all know who is worth what”, he says.
“Obviously Kevin has a lot of experience in Formula 1, he can probably guide the team in some direction that I might not just yet.
“But if we both do the right job and work in the same direction, there’s no reason for us not to be successful.
“It’s definitely beneficial for me and for the team. He’s been part of it for four years, then obviously had a one year break. But everybody likes him in the team.
“I think the emotion and the feeling in the team is really good. And he’s a good reference. So it’s only positive for now.”
