Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Is Mazepin’s relationship with Schumacher untenable?

As the Formula 1 paddock prepares for the seventh round of the season in France, it is worth reflecting on events that transpired in Baku at the start of the month.

As The Boar reported at the time, Sergio Perez was joined on the podium by Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly in Baku. The composition of the podium, however, was not the main headline in the days following the sixth race of the season.

Instead, the world of motorsport focussed on how Perez (who started sixth) and Vettel (who started eleventh) ended the weekend victorious. Although both drove imperiously during the race, attention quickly shifted to why the left-rear tyres on the cars of Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll exploded without warning. 

Of course, there was also the inquest into why the restart went so wrong for seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

As a result, a final lap incident between Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher flew under the radar. And perhaps understandably so, as the Haas duo were engaged in a battle for P13 at the time.

However, that doesn’t provide a compelling reason not to analyse Mazepin’s dangerous driving. 

Allow me to set the scene. As both drivers raced towards the finishing line, Schumacher – aided by the slipstream along the main straight – pulled to the right in an attempt to overtake his Russian teammate.

In response, Mazepin also steered to the right, effectively squeezing Schumacher’s Haas towards a cement wall. 

Although the German completed his overtake unscathed, his immediate reaction on the team radio was telling. 

“What the f*** was that?” Schumacher fumed. “Honestly, seriously, does he want to kill us?”

It is dangerous and unacceptable

– Ralph Schumacher

Speaking to Sky Germany, Ralph Schumacher – Mick’s uncle and a former Williams driver – said: “This twitching of Mazepin during the overtaking manoeuvre is not acceptable at all.

“We are talking about speeds of over 300 kilometres per hour. That’s life-threatening. When you’re racing wheel to wheel, you can easily go flying. You can imagine what happens when 750 kilograms go flying.

“I find it dangerous and unacceptable. For me, this is a clear penalty. This kind of thing should not be allowed to become the norm, this twitching at 350 kilometres per hour. That is not acceptable at all.”

After the race, Mazepin told reporters that he was unhappy to have lost P13 to his teammate. “The race was stop-start and then it came to life again,” the Russian explained. 

“The main thing is I’m just a little bit upset about losing my position to my teammate on the main straight. It is what it is, but I think our finishing position is a nice number for the team, but obviously some unexpected situations happened with the other drivers which enabled us to get that position.”

Schumacher, meanwhile, was unwilling to address the incident – which left team principal Guenther Steiner to have the final word.

“Obviously it was an exciting race today, on one way or another, or even in all ways. In the end we had our best result of the year, which I’m very happy about for everybody,” the Italian said.

“For where we are at the moment it’s very difficult to get this result. Everybody worked really hard and just due to that – it happened.

“Obviously, there was a situation on the straight, that was all resolved, and we’ve cleared the air. There was some misunderstanding, but we’re fine and all moving on from it.”

From the outside, it’s hard to identify what Schumacher could possibly have misunderstood about the incident. Until the red flags came out, the young German led Mazepin by over a minute – despite himself suffering a botched pitstop.

Schumacher’s only sin was to be faster than his teammate

Then, on the start-finish line, the 22-year-old used the slipstream (and his overtake button) to jet around Mazepin (who had run out of additional charge). 

Schumacher’s only sin was to be faster than his teammate – who responded to his own lack of pace by twitching into the danger zone. Mazepin drove dangerously; Schumacher was just doing his job.

This, however, isn’t a new situation for Haas to deal with. Just days after Mazepin was ‘awarded’ the seat, he drove erratically at the final F2 event of the 2020 season.

His off-track conduct is appalling; his on-track behaviour is utterly reckless. 

Quite how Haas, Schumacher, and Mazepin “move on from this” remains to be seen. 

However, if Schumacher doesn’t want to drive alongside Mazepin next term, there are numerous places where he could land. If George Russell is promoted (or Nicholas Latifi is dropped), Williams will require a young driver to push them forwards. Likewise, Antonio Giovinazzi isn’t setting the world alight with Alpha Romeo – and Kimi Raikkonen can’t drive on forever.

So, Mick Schumacher’s career is bright. 

Nikita Mazepin, on the other hand, has started his F1 career abysmally. It’s one thing to be slow – but to be slow and dangerous is another. This situation won’t go away quietly.