Helmut Marko sees Nico Hülkenberg at Haas in 2023
Red Bull advisor thinks Mick Schumacher won't keep his wheel next year.
Only two more Grand Prix races left before starting a new season? For now, that’s the question Mick Schumacher must be asking himself. The German driver’s contract with Haas is coming to an end, and he still hasn’t been confirmed for next year.
To keep his seat, his boss, Günther Steiner, asked him to score some points. However, the last points scored by the son of the seven-time world champion go back to the Austrian Grand Prix. His teammate, on the other hand, has scored two points in the United States.
“The 2022 driver standings”
Given the situation, many rumors suggest that the young German will not be on the grid next year. He could be replaced by Nico Hülkenberg. Helmut Marko shares this opinion.
« The situation at Haas is that they have an experienced driver with Magnussen, and if there were a great talent in the making, I would bet on him », he says.
From the team’s point of view, there is a lot of money at stake in the World Constructors’ Championship – whether you are eighth or tenth, there is a difference of X million dollars. So, I suppose Haas will rely on a veteran.
« It would be a shame for Servus TV [for whom Hülkenberg works as a consultant during the Grand Prix], but on the other hand, Hülkenberg has the talent and has already proven it: he jumped in the car as a reserve driver [at Aston Martin] without any test kilometers, so to speak, in cold water, and has always performed. That says a lot about him.
»
A comeback with Sauber
Helmut Marko believes that Mick Schumacher will take a sabbatical year in 2023, before returning the following year with Sauber. In 2024, some seats will be available as contracts expire.
The official announcement for the second Haas driver is expected to be made in the following days, according to Günther Steiner. Nico Hülkenberg’s last full season was in 2019 with Renault.
