Isn't that luck?

Mick Schumacher is actually not dependent on the quality of his company car when it comes to the next step in his Formula 1 career.

A bold thought in a technique sport.

And none that Schumacher Junior warms the heart.

He wants to win, if not race then points.

And so he is looking forward to the moment of truth on Saturday, when every card will be revealed in qualifying for the first Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday in Bahrain (4 p.m. CET in the FAZ live ticker for Formula 1 and on Sky).

Anno Hecker

Responsible editor for sports.

  • Follow I follow

On Friday, the result of training for the race confirmed the impression that Team Haas' new car had made the leap from the end of the 2021 field to the middle.

In the evening after sunset in the Sakhir desert, Schumacher was not blown away by the cool wind, but ended up in eighth place in the best of company, just behind Sergio Perez in the Red Bull, just ahead of seven-time world champion in the Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton.

The result should be treated with caution because it was not clear which team had how much fuel in the tank, who was playing poker or just wanted to look good.

Ten kilograms more on board increase the lap times by three or four tenths of a second, depending on the route.

Last season's strategy seems to have worked for Haas.

"Generally it's very positive"

The American team did not develop their car any further, instead concentrating on the development of the new racing car, on restarting Formula 1 with a radical reform of the rules.

"We have everything together that will hopefully bring us up front and consistently in the points," said Schumacher before the first laps: "In general, it's very positive.

But we have to focus on making it to the end of the race.” Ferrari's new engine is also “a good step forward, it feels good.”

Even if Haas managed a nice jump, the car will hardly be the racer of the season and Schumacher will probably only catapult onto the podium under special conditions, coupled with a dash of chance and luck.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old German, who grew up on Lake Geneva, could become the focus of racing teams and team bosses in the second year of his Formula 1 career.

When he can do two things: finish ahead of faster cars and beat his teammate.

The first task could hardly be fulfilled in 2021.

The company car was too far behind.

Schumacher lived up to the second so regularly that his dominance lost value: Nikita Mazepin was not a special benchmark.

But now the Russian chapter is history.

After Putin's army invaded Ukraine, Haas parted ways with sponsor Uralkali and Mazepin immediately.

An old acquaintance of Formula 1, Kevin Magnussen, filled the gap: 29 years old, 119 starts, four years at Haas until he was retired in 2020.

"I wasn't there for a year, but I feel good," said the son of former Formula 1 driver Jan Magnussen.

Mazepin was still aware of the first days of testing in Barcelona before Putin's attack, and the second round of testing in Bahrain last week began a day late for Haas due to problems with freight delivery.

Magnussen misses a few laps to fully familiarize himself with the new type of car.

Nevertheless, he finished tenth on Friday, almost a tenth of a second slower than Schumacher.

That's no surprise.

If drivers were characterized like racetracks, then Magnussen would have to be viewed as a straight line.

Always on the move without detours.

He doesn't mince his words: "I'm not afraid of death."

The lively opponents but the dynamism of their colleague.

Because its straight-ahead tours sometimes lead to an unpleasant cold deformation of other racing cars.

However, Haas' team boss Günther Steiner also knows about accidents at work.

Magnussen and then-teammate Romain Grosjean presented some full-contact encounters to the chagrin of their boss.

In Bahrain, the new old pilot presented himself as a mature team player with a small challenge: "It's important to understand that you can benefit from each other, but at the same time fight for the same points." Steiner seems to like the new constellation: "Kevin is a tough one Racer, that's good for Mick.

It'll help him develop." If he consistently beats Magnussen, whether further down the field or further up the field, "I know I have to perform."