Schumacher sitting in a "crooked position" in Haas F1 car
Mick Schumacher has revealed that he has been “sitting in a crooked position” in his Haas Formula 1 car since the beginning of the 2021 season.
The German driver says the situation does not impact his driving performance and that his team plans to implement a fix after the summer break, which ends with the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in late August.
Schumacher explained the situation after being asked about a video that surfaced after last weekend’s French GP at Paul Ricard, where he was filmed by his car’s cockpit camera showing his friend Sebastian Vettel something in the cockpit.
Speaking in the pre-event press conference for this weekend’s Styrian GP, and sitting alongside Vettel, Schumacher said: “So basically, I’ve been sitting in a crooked position since the beginning of the season – just because the seat is central, but I am not straight.
“We’ve actually been talking about it before and I took the opportunity to show him.
“[We] just spoke about the seat and I think he gave my Mum the tip of maybe breaking it so I would get a new one sooner!
“But it didn’t happen in the end, so I’ve still got the same seat for now.”
Vettel added: “It would’ve been in difficult to get a new one in a week, so don’t always follow the advice I give!
“The key is very simple – I spent so many years racing and we spoke about the seat during the last week and there’s always small things you can improve or look at, so I wanted to have a looked and we had a look.”
Schumacher also stated that when he was in the cockpit “it’s just about for me trying to find the right position”.
“Not being symmetrical is something that I have to work on, but it’s hard to achieve in a short amount of time,” he added.
“But plans are there to change the seat in the near future.”
When asked why Haas had not addressed the situation with his seat, Schumacher replied: “It’s not as bad as maybe some might think.
“It’s a small offset, it’s something that I’ve been used too, let’s say, also in junior categories.
“And to be fair it doesn’t harm me in any way when driving.
“So, it’s something that for us right now is a secondary concern – for us it’s mostly about trying to get everything ready for the weekends and being prepared on that level and maybe setting out focus on something else instead of wasting it on something that is maybe not effecting me right now.
“But, as I said, it’s something that is in the plan and we’ll for sure after the summer break come back with something that might be a bit more centred.
“But, again, we’ve been working on it in the beginning of the season quite a lot, we’ve got to something that was comfortable enough for me to keep going.
“So, we just kept it, or we left it with that.”
Related video
Previous article
Gravel moved closer to the track at Red Bull Ring’s Turn 6
Next article
How F1's biggest crisis helped trigger its exciting 2021 season
The ‘screaming’ F1 engine future that may not be out of reach
OPINION: It wasn't just the Verstappen/Hamilton clash that had the Red Bull and Mercedes bosses at loggerheads at Silverstone, with the nature of Formula 1's 2025 engines also subject for disagreement. But hopes to have loud, emotive engines that are also environmentally friendly don't have to be opposed.
How Lotus uncovered, then squandered its last ‘unfair advantage’
Cast in the mould of its founder Colin Chapman, Lotus was powerful and daring but flawed – as it proved through further soaring peaks and painful troughs into the 1980s. DAMIEN SMITH examines a game-changing era
The core problems Yas Marina’s long-awaited tweaks won't address
OPINION: Changes to the layout of Abu Dhabi’s circuit aim to reverse the trend of insipid Formula 1 races there - the promoter has even described one of the new corners as “iconic”. And that, argues STUART CODLING, is one of this venue’s abiding failings
How Ferrari offered Callum Ilott what Red Bull couldn't
Last year's Formula 2 runner-up Callum Ilott could be on his way to becoming the first Briton to contest a grand prix in an Alfa Romeo since Reg Parnell in 1950. But, says Oleg Karpov, the Ferrari Driver Academy protege is having to temper his ambition at the moment – outwardly at least…
The signs that point to F1's rude health
OPINION: Formula 1's calendar might still be facing disruption as the pandemic affects travel but, says Mark Gallagher, the business itself is fundamentally strong thanks to the epic rivalry taking place on track and the consistent arrival of new sponsors.
The unexpected benefit of F1's sprint race repeat
OPINION: Formula 1's sprint race trial at Silverstone drew mixed feedback on Saturday, but there remained the true test of how it would impact Sunday's Grand Prix. While fans were busy marvelling at Fernando Alonso's progress, a key lesson was being learned that would directly contribute to the dramatic lap-one clash at Copse the following day
The off-track considerations that led to Hamilton/Verstappen F1 shunt
OPINION: Formula 1’s 2021 title fight turned ugly last weekend when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided at the start of the British Grand Prix. Verstappen thankfully walked away unharmed, but this had been a clash long-since coming.
British Grand Prix Driver Ratings
The 2021 British Grand Prix will live long in the memory for the dramatic clash between Formula 1's two title protagonists, which opened the door for other drivers to capitalise. One did so in spectacular fashion, while others fluffed their lines
