Mick Schumacher will not have a Formula 1 race drive next season following confirmation from Haas that he will leave the team.
It had been expected for some time that Schumacher would lose his drive with the squad.
Haas boss Guenther Steiner confirmed last week that an announcement on the team’s 2023 driver line-up would be made ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“I would like to thank Mick Schumacher for his contribution to the team over the past couple of years,” said Steiner.
“Mick’s pedigree in the junior categories was well known and he has continued to grow and develop as a driver in his time with Haas F1 Team – culminating in his first Formula 1 points-scoring successes earlier this season.
“While choosing to go in separate directions for the future the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond.”
The team has not yet announced his replacement, though that is expected to be Nico Hulkenberg.
UPDATE: Hulkenberg signing confirmed
The son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Mick arrived in F1 in 2021 following a strong junior career.
That saw him win the Formula 2 championship in 2020 with Prema.
In Formula 1, he slotted in alongside Nikita Mazepin in what can best be described as a character-building year for the Haas team.
Performances have improved this year for both Schumacher and his team, though it’s been seen as too little, too late, and too inconsistent.
The 23-year has scored 12 points thus far in 2022 with one race remaining.
However, he’s also been involved in a number of heavy offs, including crashes in Saudi Arabia and Monaco.
Publicly, Steiner has stated that he needs to make a decision based on what is best for the team long term, highlighting a preference for experience.
As foretold by Speedcafe.com, the result is that Schumacher has lost his F1 drive for 2023.
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