F1: No Schumacher contract news ‘until summer’

(GMM) Gunther Steiner says he will not be commenting on Mick Schumacher’s future at Haas until “at least the summer”.

After a period of off-track unrest in the wake of Schumacher’s lack of performance and a series of high-speed crashes, the German driver and his boss touched down in Montreal, insisting peace has returned to their collaboration.

“It’s been hyped up that we don’t talk to each other,” Steiner told Bild newspaper.

“We just laugh at what other people say about us not having a good relationship.”

However, he stopped short of ending the rumors about Schumacher leaving Haas at the end of 2022, even though he admits technical partner Ferrari chooses one of the team’s race drivers.

“No comment until at least the summer,” Steiner told Sky Deutschland.

“These are rumors that would disturb the team internally. From the outside, they talk about it to create a bit of theater.

“We have to work calmly. I will defend Mick and we will solve the problems internally. But if the others want to divide us, we will go our own way.

“We have had a less than perfect season so far, but we have to work to move forward.”

Norbert Haug, a former Mercedes boss who had a close relationship with Mick’s famous father Michael, says the onus is also on 23-year-old Schumacher to end the speculation.

“The best thing would be an inconspicuously good race that ends in at least a point,” he said. “That would also bring a lot of calm to the team.

“It’s not easy because he has never been to Montreal. But this situation will end at some point.”

Haug advised Schumacher to drive with more confidence than at Baku, where he was supposedly told by Haas that another big crash may have ended his run at the team.

“Anyone who races in Formula 1 with caution will not win anything,” he said. “He has to go to the limit again, and I hope that his team will give him confidence.

“Then the result will come,” Haug added.