Schumacher and Mazepin to Haas: A good balance between name and money?

Grosjean and Magnussen must clear the way for Schumacher and Mazepin in 2021. At least, that is expected because nothing has been confirmed yet. With Mazepin, Haas hopes to bring in his father's money and with Schumacher there is a legendary name attached to the brand, along with his talent.

The name or the money?

Is Haas going to make it? Billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, the father of the 21-year-old driver, would have been interested in buying the Haas F1 team earlier. He also bid on Force India before Lawrence Stroll got there first. All that Russian money would of course be welcome for a team like Haas. Even though the new regulations restrict a lot of expenses.

The question remains: what does Haas gain from another inexperienced driver besides the young Mazepin? What can the unproven son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher add to the team? Without money and experience, contracting Schumacher seems more like a wild guess.

Schumacher is a very good driver however, he's leading in F2 and has had a very consistent season, and is deserving of a step up to F1.

With the surname of the young Mick, Haas appears prominently on the map. The team will get more publicity and sponsorship might become more lucrative. But once again, what use has Haas to another inexperienced driver and sponsorship money when Mazepin is already on the team with father's infinitely deep pockets?

Haas forgets the experience

Steiner has indicated in previous interviews that he consciously opted for a young driver duo. The Austrian wants to break new ground with the young drivers and make a long-term investment in them.

Chances are that Haas has chosen Schumacher because they are a Ferrari customer team. The young German would probably be allowed to drive at Alfa Romeo. When that chance turned out to pass because the team will continue with Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen, Haas came into the picture.

Should this not be the case, it might have been a good plan for Haas to look at more experienced drivers after all. There are two very experienced and strong drivers ready to join a team. Both Sergio Perez and Nico Hülkenberg are jumping for a seat.

Is the sport cracked by the money?

That Haas would have a hard time choosing Schumacher or a more experienced driver is understandable, but in the meantime there is a bigger problem. Why can an unproven driver like Mazepin enter the F1 without questioning?

The choice Haas has to make for 2021 seems typical for the current state of motorsport. The team simply can't choose the drivers they want most. There are innumerable factors to consider. Is Haas going for money, for the Schumacher name, for experience?