The decision by Haas to drop Mick Schumacher in favor of Nico Hulkenberg<\/a> has divided opinion amongst the F1 fandom. Many of Schumacher\u2019s fans have vented their anger with the perceived treatment of their man by the team, with many others believing signing the veteran is a shrewd choice. A look into Haas’ choice and what options are open to Schumacher.<\/p>\n The decision makes total sense, as would have been keeping Schumacher, but it seems the team had very little patience with the youngster after two heavy \u2013 and costly \u2013 shunts early in the season. Schumacher had much more inter-team competition in 2022 with the return of Kevin Magnussen to Haas. Despite the Dane scoring points in early races \u2013 as well as a Friday Pole Position in Brazil<\/a> with Schumacher 20th \u2013 Schumacher, in terms of race classification, overall became the strongest of the two, out-finishing Magnussen 8-4.<\/p>\n Many have felt the treatment Schumacher received from Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner, including some very public dressing-downs, were, on the whole, unfair. And despite the disappointment felt by his fans, it is possible a move away from Formula 1 for at least one year may be a good thing for the son of 7-time World Champion Michael.<\/p>\n For Haas, the move to sign Hulkenberg is a sensible decision. The fellow German has gained a reputation for being a trusted stand-in driver for teams in the years since his last full-time drive with Renault in 2019. Many knockers of this choice have been quick to address that Hulkenberg, despite starting 181 Grands Prix, has never scored a podium finish. However, it would be fair to say that since his 2010 debut, Hulkenberg has never driven for a seriously competitive team in which podiums were likely, and for the teams he did drive for, he showed his talent, reflected in amassing 521 points.<\/p>\n For this reason, I suspect Haas will have made the choice based on experience, believing a wise old owl would be less inclined to take risks and crash the car. The team\u2019s big-money sponsorship deal with MoneyGram for 2023 might have eased the pressure on Schumacher, and the financial burden any crashes might\u2019ve brought, but it seems their mind was made-up. It is also worth noting that Hulkenberg and Magnussen\u2019s infamous exchange<\/a> after the 2019 US Grand Prix might also have been viewed as a good PR stunt for Steiner, bringing the two men together in the same outfit.<\/p>\nSafe and fast, Hulk is the right man for the job<\/h3>\n