Ross Brawn has given his thoughts on the future of Mick Schumacher with the Haas driver potentially leaving Formula 1 at the end of this season.
The German has had a campaign of highs and lows, with him scoring his first championship points but also having a couple of big shunts, with Guenther Steiner saying he needs to be more consistent.
A driver clearly with talent, he's won both at F2 and F3 level after all, Mick is obviously still learning after a particularly hard 2021 where Haas opted to forego the campaign and focus on developing the 2022 car.
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Ross Brawn backs Mick Schumacher
BARCELONA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 25: Ross Brawn, Managing Director (Sporting) of the Formula One Group, looks on in the Red Bull Racing garage during Day Three of F1 Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 25, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Time is not usually a disposable commodity in Formula 1, though, and there are strong links suggesting that either Nico Hulkenberg or Antonio Giovinazzi could take the seat alongside Kevin Magnussen for next season.
That would leave Mick needing to find a drive elsewhere, though Steiner has said he still has time to win a new deal in the final races of the year, and Brawn is of the opinion Schumacher deserves at least another campaign on the grid.
Speaking to Sport1, Brawn discussed Schumacher and said that whilst he might not be quite yet at the level of his father who was so impressively fast from the outset in whatever he was given, there is ability with Mick.
"Michael was always immediately on the limit.
“Mick needs a little longer, but in the end he also won titles in the junior categories. He is very talented and 100 percent inherited his father’s work ethic and is extremely capable of improvement. Mick has improved enormously this year.
“He has a really good reference now in Kevin Magnussen and is at an important crossroads. In any case, he deserves to take the next step in his career. And he’ll be measured by that.”
What does the future hold for Mick Schumacher?
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JULY 08: Mick Schumacher of Germany driving the (47) Haas F1 VF-22 Ferrari on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 08, 2022 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
If Mick does leave Haas and, as mentioned, that is not a certainty, he has a few options available to him as things stand.
He has been linked increasingly with Williams in recent days after the news broke that Nicholas Latifi would be leaving the team at the end of the season, and you could see him fitting in there with the Schumacher family having links to Mercedes, who power the Grove team's cars.
Alpine could be another option, meanwhile, with Esteban Ocon saying he'd love to drive alongside Mick for the team, though Pierre Gasly is still thought to be favourite for that gig.
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