Haas: 'intense' midfield battle behind Schumacher's lack of points

Mick Schumacher’s failure to score points so far this season is down to Formula 1’s “intense” midfield pack, believes Haas team principal Gunther Steiner.

Haas has made huge strides from its disastrous 2021 campaign in which it scored no points, with the American-owned team sitting eighth in the constructors’ championship after four races.

But the team’s 15-point haul has all come from Kevin Magnussen, with Schumacher still yet to register a top-10 finish.

Despite a career-best finish at the season opener in Bahrain, a huge qualifying crash in Saudi Arabia ruled him out of competing, and two spins blighted his race at Imola a fortnight ago.

But while Schumacher is appearing to struggle to put a whole weekend together, Steiner isn’t concerned by the German’s current form.

“If you miss a little bit, you’re out of the points at the moment because the midfield is very, very close together”, Steiner said, as quoted by The Race.

“We had Kevin in the points in all of the races except one. So I think Mick will get there.

“But he needs a perfect weekend, otherwise you’re not ending up in points this year, because the competition is so intense in the midfield.”

Steiner expects the pressure will be eased on Schumacher once he does net that points finish.

“Once he scores his first points, normally things get easier because you have overcome a hurdle. And it motivates you to get on to better things,” he said.

Schumacher acknowledged partnering someone of Magnussen’s experience was proving a major boost to his development after comfortably outpacing former team-mate Nikita Mazepin last year.

“It’s great, he’s got a lot of experience in Formula 1,” said Schumacher.

“Being able to compare myself to him and also just work with him is