Guenther Steiner is a very outspoken individual. And Mick Schumacher would have experienced it first-hand in 2022 when he underperformed as per Haas’ expectations. Steiner openly criticized Mick for his crashes and inconsistency. He appeared on the recent Beyond the Grid podcast and opened up on Mick’s exit from Haas.

Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Guenther Steiner answered why Haas did not retain Mick Schumacher for 2023. He said, “The decision was made after analyzing what is the best for the team, to go back [to] where we want to be. Mick [Schumacher] can get [be] a good driver. Or he’s already a good driver. But he can get better.”

“But how long does it take us? Because he’s growing with us, but he cannot make us grow. It is better to get an experienced driver, to make the team move up quicker.”

When Clarkson asked him about Mick’s crashes and how they affected his chances, Steiner said, “Not in particular one crash. You look back [because] you have to look back but you look forward. If these things [crashes] happen next year again, does it hinder us to make progress? – Yes.”

“Because with the budget cap, spending money like this, is basically wasted. Because you cannot make the car go quicker. I am not saying he will crash next year’s cars but he [Mick] crashed 3 [cars] this year. It happened.”

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Steiner explained Mick may have risked it more, but they cannot afford the same, being on a budget as a smaller team. While Haas did not develop its 2021 car much, the VF-22 this season was a lot more competitive in the mid-field. Yet Mick suffered crashes in Saudi Arabia, Monaco, and Japan.

Guenther Steiner on the decision to replace Mick Schumacher with Nico Hulkenberg

Guenther Steiner explained Haas’ decision and reasons to sign Nico Hulkenberg for 2023. The team wanted an experienced driver that knows how to drive for mid-field teams. And on these criteria, Nico Hulkenberg was the right fit.

The German team boss mentioned how Hulkenberg has experience in the mid-field with several teams, like Force India, and Renault. This was the major aspect that attracted Steiner’s attention towards hiring the 35-year-old.

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Haas wants to be racing the top mid-field teams and Nico Hulkenberg has the experience to take them there. Steiner believes that the experienced duo of Kevin Magnussen and Hulkenberg is the combination that can help Haas move up quicker.

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Time will tell whether Haas can continue their upward trajectory in the midfield. Though for now Guenther is particularly happy with his driver line-up and will be looking to gain more points in 2023. Can Haas perform better with Hulkenberg?