Haas F1 Team announced Thursday that Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, will not return in 2023 after two seasons driving for the team. Schumacher will be replaced by journeyman driver Nico Hulkenberg, who returns to the F1 grid for the first time since 2019.
Schumacher, 23, was originally hired by Haas F1 Team for the 2021 season after winning the championship in Formula 2 the previous year. After going scoreless in his first season, Schumacher's 2022 season was defined by some highs and plenty of lows. While he scored points with a sixth-place finish in Austria and an eighth-place finish in Germany, he has just eight finishes on the lead lap and has crashed out of multiple races.
In a statement, Schumacher expressed disappointment that his contract was not being renewed, but expressed that he felt he had earned a place in Formula One and was resolved to return to the grid.
— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) November 17, 2022
"Those years together have helped me to mature both technically and personally. And especially when things got difficult, I realized how much I love this sport," Schumacher wrote. "It was at times bumpy but I steadily improved, learned a lot and now know for sure that I deserve a place in Formula 1. The subject is anything but closed for me. Setbacks only make you stronger.
"My fire burns for Formula 1 and I will fight hard to return to the starting grid."
Hulkenberg, Schumacher's replacement, has extensive F1 experience dating back to 2010. Hulkenberg has 181 Grand Prix starts with a best finish of fourth in the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix and has amassed a total of 521 career points. The German driver has spent the past two seasons as a reserve driver for Aston Martin.
