F1 Testing: Mick Schumacher ‘Was Really Scared’ by Pitlane Mishap

Haas’s Mick Schumacher didn’t have the most auspicious of F1 debuts at the recently concluded preseason testing event in Bahrain. He had an incomplete first day of testing when he completed only 15 laps because of hydraulic failure. The German bounced back on the second day when he completed 88 laps. However, he was involved in a scary incident at the end of the day.

He was called into the pits for a routine tire change exercise. However, there was a moment of miscommunication when he was given the green light to exit the pits, but ended up taking off with the tire jack still attached to the car. 

This incident was caused due to a jammed wheel nut in the front left. The mechanic involved was unsure whether the tire would hold and immediately raised his hand. 

Mick Schumacher relieved that nothing serious happened 

In an interview (translated via Google), Mick Schumacher described what he felt as the events unfolded. He said, “I was really scared because suddenly I didn’t know what was going on, whether I did something wrong or not.

“In the end it was a misunderstanding.”

His team principal Guenther Steiner was impressed with how the rookie handled it. He said, “Mick reacted very well. When the radio message came that he should stop, he stopped immediately. This did not cause any damage.

“I could now say that it was part of his training because we have already hit so many pit stops! But it wasn’t like that.”

The team and driver would very relieved that nobody got hurt in the process.

Can the rookie be a success in F1?

The German has made the smart decision of learning the ropes at Haas. He, however, could have been a part of the Alfa Romeo setup, had things panned out differently.

The 21-year-old will have little to no pressure to perform from his team in his maiden campaign in F1. He is at a team that has publicly stated they are going to direct their focus on the 2022 season instead of the current one.

He will be closely watched by Ferrari and will need to be consistently better than teammate Nikita Mazepin.

He should learn from the example of George Russell, who has paid his dues at Williams for three seasons. His performances got him the recognition and culminated in him getting a dream drive with Mercedes for a race as a sub for Lewis Hamilton.

He should look to emulate that before thinking about the Ferrari seat he could get in the future.