F1 News: Gene Haas says nothing was wrong with Mick Schumacher's strategy

Things look bleak for Mick Schumacher.

Mick Schumacher was firmly in contention for points at the halfway stage of the American GP, running just ahead of teammate Kevin Magnussen after the Safety Car restart. 

Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, he was forced to make a second stop, switching to the hard compound until the end of the race and failing to climb into the points.

Schumacher has already been given an ultimatum by team owner Gene Haas and team principal Guenther Steiner, who want him to score points in the final rounds to secure a contract extension. 

Many have described this criterion as unreasonable, considering the gradual decline in the competitiveness of the VF-22 throughout the year.

Mick Schumacher has certainly improved throughout the year and now matches Kevin Magnussen relatively consistently in qualifying and race trim. 

However, Magnussen's points in America will damage Schumacher's chances of continuing with the team, as Nico Hulkenberg seems increasingly likely to join Haas in 2023.

Haas team owner Gene Haas explained to RTL that Schumacher's strategy did not cost him points in America:

"When Mick and Magnussen came in, they both got the same tyres. When Mick came out again, he was in a group of cars and stayed with them. 

"Magnussen fell backwards to save his tyres, while Mick used them up. 

"Mick then inevitably had to come in ten laps later and change tyres, which set him back. 

"Magnussen fed his tyres and was able to complete 37 laps on mediums that no one else managed in the race. 

"That's how he managed to get a few points."

Frankly, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Hulkenberg would be a good addition to Haas and is arguably more complete as a driver than Kevin Magnussen. 

So Hulkenberg would by no means be a bad signing for the team. 

There is also no denying Mick Schumacher's poor start to the season cost the team crucial points and funds. 

With that said, the target set for Schumacher (even with Magnussen's recent points) does not seem congruent with the team's current level of competitiveness. 

Respect in battle 🤝

What a last lap fight it was between these two - pure and hard racing.#HaasF1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/2SKVcqjkh0

— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) October 23, 2022

Formula 1 is a ruthless sport, so Schumacher cannot be said to be experiencing something out of the ordinary. 

Plenty of drivers (i.e., Kobayashi, Heidfeld) have lost their seats in the past despite delivering consistently strong performances. 

Still, the relationship between Schumacher and Haas already seems fragmented. 

Perhaps the best option for the American team is to make a decision next season rather than wait until the end of the year for an announcement.

After all, Schumacher has driven with Haas for almost two full seasons now - the team surely has enough data to decide for 2023. 

Regardless, Schumacher still has three races to convince Haas he deserves a contract extension.