Formula One: Guenther Steiner launches x-rated tirade against Mick Schumacher

Mick Schumacher endured an unfortunate 2022, crashing on numerous occasions. He was subsequently dumped from F1 and now his former boss has unleashed.

Track marshals clean debris from the track

Haas chief Guenther Steiner has slammed Mick Schumacher over his crashes in a new book.Schumacher raced for Haas for two years in F1 before being let go at the end of last season.

And Steiner has revealed a big reason for that was his propensity for crashing cars.

The Haas chief felt Schumacher’s mentality was off and found it increasingly difficult to justify his place in the team to Haas bosses.

He wrote in his upcoming ‘Surviving to Drive’ book: “And now we get on to Mick. Jeezoz [sic], where do I start?

“The first time a driver writes off a car in a season due to human error, you have to forget about it. It’s just one of those things and at the end of the day, s*** happens sometimes.

“The second time it happens you think ‘hang on, something’s not right here.’

“The cost and the effect it has on our chances of scoring points is one thing but what about the dangers to the driver and other people? Nobody ever mentions that.

“I know I could go on about it but we have a good car this season and I’ve run out of excuses for things like this.

“‘He crashed again Gunether?’ the board will say. ‘What’s the point of having a good car when you don’t score any points and keep wrecking them?’

“What can I say to that? Nothing. Having a good car quickly turned into a double-edged sword for me and one of the main reasons for this is that we keep on f***ing wrecking them, or should I say one driver does.

“The driver who hasn’t scored any points yet and who is one of only two left on the grid right now.”

Schumacher left Haas at the end of the season and signed for Mercedes as back-up to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Track marshals clean debris from the track

F1 LEGEND‘S FRANK ADMISSION ABOUT 2023 GOALS

Callum Dick

Fernando Alonso’s Formula One revival at Aston Martin has captivated longtime fans but the Spaniard says simply settling for podium finishes is not what he signed up for.

The 41-year-old has stood on the lowest step of the podium at every race so far this season and currently sits third in the drivers’ championship, behind Red Bull duo Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen.

After years of battling for relevancy in middling cars, Aston Martin has delivered the two-time world champion a machine capable of challenging for podiums in just his first season with the team.

Long considered one of the most talented drivers of all time, some feel Alonso’s ability deserves more than the 2005 and 2006 world championships he won with Renault.

Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso is not ready to retire just yet. Picture: AFP

And though the Spaniard is clearly enjoying his new-found competitiveness in the seat of the AMR23, he says the ultimate goal is still to add to his two F1 titles.

“When you race for many years, obviously you start breaking records – but I think the only thing that matters is to win and to break the record of championships,” Alonso said in an interview with sponsor, Bang & Olufsen.

“At the moment that’s probably unreachable because seven of Michael (Schumacher) and seven of (Lewis) Hamilton are out of the possibility. But that will ultimately be the aim.”

Despite his frank admission that the high watermark set by Hamilton and Schumacher is likely untouchable, Alonso’s declaration that he wants to continue challenging for the world championship suggests he has more left in the tank than perhaps previously expected.

He has started a record 358 Formula One races and with his third-place finish in Saudi Arabia became just the sixth driver in history to reach 100 career podiums.

Just an incredible Team spirit . 🤩🟢 https://t.co/y7ZFhi4DSr

— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) April 9, 2023

If his form continues he could vault ahead of Kimi Raikkonen (103) and Alain Prost (106) by season’s end.

If Alonso retired tomorrow he would be remembered as one of Formula One’s all-time greats, but he wants more.

Though a third world title likely won’t come this year, he says.

“That’s the aim for sure – but I think at the moment we have to keep the feet on the ground.

“The aim for the team is just to have a good season. They were struggling a lot in 2022. So I think we have to walk before (we) run.

“I think this 2023 campaign is just about getting better, getting to know the car better, start a new project from day one. That’s where we are at the moment.

“Hopefully we will have more podiums. hopefully we fight for race wins. But I think the fight for the championship, I think we need to set the team a little bit before doing that.”

Alonso turns 42 in July and though he is already, comfortably, the longest-serving driver in history, he still has “a few more years” in him.

“When I started in Formula One, my idea was to be (competing) for seven or eight years,” he said.

“Then I won the two championships and I thought, I will race maybe one or two more years and then I will stop.

“Now I find myself with the longest career ever in Formula One and I’m still fresh, I’m still motivated. I am still enjoying every single day.

“I wake up in the morning and I’m happy (with) what I’m doing. So there is a few more years I think for me and hopefully, with a title in the future.”

Originally published as Formula One: Guenther Steiner launches x-rated tirade against Mick Schumacher