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Preview of Formula 1 in 2021: An impossible task for Haas
In Formula 1, your most important opponent is your teammate and so at GPblog, we look ahead to the team duels in 2021. Which drivers will compete and what can we expect from that duel? In the second part, we take a look at the new Haas line-up.
Read part 1 of this series here!
Mick Schumacher
A week before the start of the Formula 1 season, Mick Schumacher celebrates his 22nd birthday and can follow in the footsteps of his father with a debut in Formula 1. Many of course point to the help he has had with such a surname and the (financial) support that comes with it, but it has not been easy for Schumacher.
The young German has been karting since his father's heyday with the fact that the media is diving on top of him. Nowadays because of Mick, but in the beginning, it was mainly about his father. How was he after his skiing accident? They asked Mick, but he couldn't say anything else about it.
Under that pressure, it is particularly impressive what Schumacher has achieved over the years. He did not manage to win directly everywhere like Charles Leclerc or Max Verstappen, but by continuously improving himself he won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 championship. He certainly deserves a place in Formula 1.
Nikita Mazepin
19 days earlier than Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin turns 22 years old. The Russian has not had to live with the pressure that Schumacher has had on his shoulders since childhood, but Mazepin had no shortage of support. Father Dmitry Mazepin is a millionaire and has been a major investor in his son's career.
Mazepin has not exactly impressed on the track over the years. He will already get into a formula car in 2014, but his first victory will not follow until 2016. He finished second in GP3 in 2018 and third in the Formula 3 Asian Championship. In Formula 2, he eventually reached fifth place and two victories in 2020, which turns out to be enough for a move to Haas.
However, the move can be called remarkable, because besides the fact that he never managed to win a significant title and seems to owe his career mainly to his father, his career outside the sporting aspect is often in a bad light. He brawled with Callum Ilott, created dangerous situations more than once on the track, and then there was the incident in Abu Dhabi. Not a nice CV to get into F1 with.
The forecast for 2021
For Haas, it will be a year in which it becomes clear how good the management is. Two "Rookies" in your team is always a challenge, but the noise surrounding Mazepin makes it even harder. If Mazepin turns out to be the slowest of the two again, it might only cause more problems.
It's expected that Schumacher will be faster than Mazepin. Yes, it usually takes Schumacher a year to come in, but compare all the years they drove together in one class, and Schumacher clearly has the upper hand. In 2017 they drove together in Formula 3 and in 2019 and 2020 together in Formula 2. In those three seasons, they drove the same number of races, but the figures clearly speak in favour of Schumacher. Schumacher won three times in those three seasons against Mazepin's two, but the biggest difference is reflected in the points: 362 - 283.
This article was written and originally published by Tim on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.