Haas mechanics, who previously worked for Ferrari, cried upon hearing Mick Schumacher would join in 2021, Guenther Steiner has revealed.
The young German follows his father Michael Schumacher into Formula 1 just nine years after the seven-time world champion retired for the second time at the end of 2012.
Of course, publicly, carrying such a famous name means Schumacher Jr has to deal with a weight of expectation and attention most other drivers won’t even come close to having.
But for those who’ll work with Mick, Steiner’s story also offers a look at the other side of his F1 chance.
“We have mechanics in our team, who have already worked with Michael at Ferrari,” he told Germany’s Sport Bild.
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“When they heard that Mick was joining us, they cried. There was a tremendous amount of joy. The emotions of the guys were simply insane.
“One of them hugged me so tightly that I briefly asked myself: what is happening to him right now?”
It could be some time though before Schumacher is able to properly start showing his potential in F1, however, as Haas bypass this season in the hope of capitalising on next year’s rule changes.
“We face a year of learning with the drivers while technically we look ahead to the future,” Steiner explained.
“It’s no secret that the VF-21 will not be developed as we focus our energies now on the 2022 car and, what we hope, will be a more level playing field.
“We all know roughly where we expect to be this season in terms of the competition, but we must ensure we’re there to capitalise on opportunities when they present themselves.
“But first we have to get the guys dialled in at testing. Time behind the wheel is short – so it’ll be a steep curve, but I’m personally looking forward to seeing their development as drivers and as team members within Uralkali Haas F1 Team.”