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Gene Haas: Schumacher crashes 'have cost team a fortune'

Haas F1 Team owner Gene Haas remains a believer in Mick Schumacher's potential but admits the young German's crashes this season have cost his team "a fortune".

After learning the ropes of F1 with Haas in 2021, Schumacher tacked his second campaign among motorsport's elite at the start of the year.

But it was a troubled opening run in the championship for the 23-year-old, marked by big crashes at Jeddah and in Monaco that put a dark cloud over his F1 future.

Schumacher's costly mishap in the Principality back in May led to a crucial one-on-one with Haas team boss Guenther Steiner during which the latter made clear - in no uncertain terms - that accidents were no longer an option.

Despite the pressure, the young charger scored his first career points in F1 at Silverstone, following up that performance with a strong run to P6 in Austria.

It was a timely turnaround for the Ferrari protégé, but since, Schumacher hasn't scored a single top-ten finish.

For Haas, Schumacher's potential is undeniable, but his costly blunders earlier this season and his current underperformance remain at the forefront of the American team's owner's concerns.
"In this sport, being kind of a rookie driver, the sport just doesn’t allow it — it’s just too expensive,” commented Gene Haas.

"If you make any mistakes in driver selection, or strategy, or tyre selection, it is costing you millions of dollars.

"I think Mick has got a lot of potential, but you know he costs a fortune and he’s wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don’t have.

"Now, if you bring us some points, and you are [Max] Verstappen and you wreck cars, we’ll deal with it. But when you are in the back and you wreck cars, that’s very difficult."

As the U.S. outfit debates its line-up for 2023, or the identity of the driver that will race alongside Kevin Magnussen next year, Gene Haas suggests Schumacher can save his year. But points are now paramount.

"We need Mick to bring some points and we’re trying to give him as much time as possible to see what he can do," said Haas.

"If he wants to stay with us, he’s got to show us that he can score some more points. That’s what we are waiting for."

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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.