Binotto foresees 'difficult start' for Schumacher in F1

©Haas

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto believes Mick Schumacher will undergo a difficult maiden season in Formula 1 next year with Haas before making strides in 2022.

Schumacher, who won this FIA Formula 2 Championship, will attempt to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father - seven-time world champion and Ferrari great Michael Schumacher - when he lines up on the F1 grid in Melbourne next March with Haas.

The US outfit hasn't supplied the best equipment to its drivers in the past few years, a fact taht could weigh on the young German's performance from the outset.

But Binotto also knows that Schumacher is a gradual learner and usually performs much better in his second year in a category.

"I think it will be very difficult for him at the start," Binotto told selected members of the media on Friday.

"If I look at his past experience in both F2 and F3, normally he is delivering his best in the second season and not the first.

©Haas

"I think Mick, the way he has developed himself, is learning a lot on the first season and becomes very strong in the second half of the second season. That’s why I think two seasons will be important for him.

"But already on the second I’m expecting to see progress compared to the first one."

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While many see Schumacher's career path in F1 logically heading straight back to Maranello in the future, his family's involvement with Ferrari will only come full circle if the Scuderia's protégé proves he has the speed to match his ambitions.

"I’m really expecting him to prove how fast he is in an F1 context, both qualifying and the race, to prove that he is very strong in race pace and consistent in terms of bringing the car home in a good position," added Binotto.

In the wake of the move to Haas of Ferrari chassis boss Simone Resta, Binotto confirmed that additional personnel would be added to the US outfit's staff as Ferrari implements F1's mandatory budget cap.

"A few other technicians will move, reducing our organisation which is required for the budget cap but strengthening the organisation of our customers and partner teams," said the Swiss engineer.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.