Haas have confirmed that driver Mick Schumacher will drive for the American outfit next season in a multi-year deal as the team revamp their line-up for 2021.
The news was announced on Wednesday and will see Schumacher lead his famous family name back into Formula 1 after his seven-time world champion father, Michael bowed out of the sport in 2012 – who enjoyed his most prolific spell at Ferrari.
Haas have had a close relationship with Ferrari over the last couple of years and this is another step in their alliance. Schumacher is a Ferrari academy driver and is widely tipped to one day be in the hotseat at the iconic Italian outfit.
‘The prospect of being on the Formula 1 grid next year makes me incredibly happy and I’m simply speechless,’ said Schumacher.
‘I would like to thank Haas F1 Team, Scuderia Ferrari and the Ferrari Driver Academy for placing their trust in me. I also want to acknowledge and extend my love to my parents – I know that I owe them everything.’
The young German is currently the FIA Formula 2 championship leader with one round to go. He leads team-mate Callum Illot, who confirmed on Monday that he had missed out on a drive in Formula 1 for 2021, by 14 points.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has previously explained his decision to bring two rookies in for 2021, as they look to bed in their young talent ahead of the regulation changes in 2022.
‘I’m very pleased that were able to confirm Mick Schumacher in our driver line-up for next season and I look forward to welcoming him to the team,’ he said.
‘We are putting in place our building blocks for the continued long-term growth of the team and I look forward to Mick’s contributions both on and off the track in that process.’
This weekend Pietro Fittipaldi will race for Haas in the Shakir Grand Prix after Romain Grosjean’s astonishing crash at the weekend, Schumacher claimed ‘he’s ready’ if the American team need to call upon a driver in Abu Dhabi if Grosjean is deemed too unwell to race.
The 21-year-old was due to make his F1 practice debut with Alfa Romeo at the Eifel Grand Prix only for the session to be cancelled due to monsoon conditions in Germany.
Schumacher will partner fellow F2 driver Nikita Mazepin next season – the Russian sits third in the F2 championship heading into the final round of the season.
Mazepin was confirmed to be driving for Haas in 2021 on a multi-year deal on Tuesday morning.
By Cameron Anderson-Jones
