Schumacher's work ethic was most impressive thing for Haas
Haas boss Gunther Steiner says Mick Schumacher's work ethic and way he integrated with the team were the most impressive aspects of his first Formula 1 race weekend appearance.
Schumacher finally got to do his maiden F1 free practice outing at the season finale in Abu Dhabi, having had a first attempt to do one with Alfa Romeo called off because of rain at the Eifel Grand Prix.
Steiner, who has signed Schumacher for 2021, says that judging the German's speed in free practice was pretty pointless – but he said he saw enough in the garage to be convinced about how good he can be.
"He did a fantastic job," said Steiner, reflecting on Schumacher's first run with the team. "I didn't see it as a test session, as you cannot really see a lot of the potential of a driver there.
"But what you can see [is] how his personality is. How he's prepared to work and what he takes in. Because there is, for these young guys, a lot to be taken in, being the first time on a F1 circuit, especially if your last name is Schumacher.
"There's a lot of eyes watching you and, if you are 21, you need to have a lot of confidence to do that, and he did a good job all over the week."
Steiner said he carefully observed how Schumacher worked with the crew around him, and how he then dealt with delivering what had been asked of him.
"He worked very well with the engineers," added Steiner. "I watched that more than his performance. It was very good, what he did with the engineers. He was very clear in his comments and everything.
"And, by the way, also his performance in the car, we didn't put any pressure on him on what to do [but] it was good, you know, because I said just the most important thing is: do not make any mistake, because that just takes you back.
"He didn't do anything [like that]. He performed very well. He knew exactly where he lost his time compared to the other people."
Schumacher completed another day with the team at the post-season Abu Dhabi test and will now have another day-and-a-half of running in pre-season testing at Barcelona in Spain next March ahead of his F1 race debut.
Why criticism of F1’s latest controversial locale misses the point
How bad luck hindered Bottas' F1 title challenge
Why Norris doesn’t expect Mr Nice Guy praise for much longer
Earning praise from rivals has been a welcome sign that Lando Norris is becoming established among Formula 1's elite. But the McLaren driver is confident that his team's upward curve can put him in the mix to contend for titles in the future, when he's hoping the compliments will be replaced by being deemed an equal adversary
What Ferrari still needs to improve to return to F1 title contention
After a disastrous 2020 in which it slumped to sixth in the F1 constructors' standings, Ferrari has rebounded strongly and is on course to finish third - despite regulations that forced it to carryover much of its forgettable SF1000 machine. Yet while it can be pleased with its improvement, there are still steps it must make if 2022 is to yield a return to winning ways
How F1 teams and personnel react in pressurised situations
OPINION: The pressure is firmly on Red Bull and Mercedes as Formula 1 2021 embarks on its final double-header. How the respective teams deal with that will be a crucial factor in deciding the outcome of the drivers' and constructors' championships, as Motorsport.com's technical consultant and ex-McLaren F1 engineer Tim Wright explains.
How getting sacked from Benetton made Mercedes' Allison
He’s had a hand in world championship-winning Formula 1 cars for Benetton, Renault and Mercedes, and was also a cog in the Schumacher-Ferrari axis. Having recently ‘moved upstairs’ as Mercedes chief technical officer, James Allison tells Stuart Codling about his career path and why being axed by Benetton was one of the best things that ever happened to him.
The remarkable qualities that propelled Kubica’s F1 comeback
It’s easy to look at Robert Kubica’s second Formula 1 career and feel a sense of sadness that he didn’t reach the heights for which he seemed destined. But as Ben Anderson discovered, performance and results are almost meaningless in this context – something more fundamental and incredible happened…
The humbling changes Ricciardo made to deliver for McLaren
From being lapped by his own teammate in Monaco to winning at Monza, it’s been a tumultuous first season at McLaren for Daniel Ricciardo. But, as he tells STUART CODLING, there’s more to the story of his turnaround than having a lovely summer holiday during Formula 1's summer break...
The potential benefits of losing the F1 constructors' title
As the battle continues to rage over the F1 2021 drivers' championship, teams up and down the grid are turning their attentions to the prize money attributed to each position in the constructors' standings. But F1's sliding scale rules governing wind tunnel and CFD use will soften the blow for those who miss out on the top places
The invisible enemy that's made Hamilton's title charge tougher
After winning his past few Formula 1 titles as a canter, Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by eight points heading into the final double-header of 2021. Although Red Bull has been his biggest on-track challenge, Hamilton feels that he has just as much to grapple with away from the circuit