Binotto: Two F1 seasons will be important for Mick

When the Scuderia and Alfa Romeo (aka Sauber) felt it fine to keep journeymen Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi on for this year, their only other option was to barter Formula 2 champion Schumacher to Haas, who are a Ferrari customer team.

With fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin and a woeful car, the call remains a dubious one.

But summing up the first 11 races for the son of the great Michael Schumacher, Binotto told the official F1 website: “Mick is in his very first year in F1 driving for Haas, I think we said at the start of the season that the objective for him was first no pressure, but to make sure that he is learning

"So 2021 has to be for him an important year in terms of learning. And I think if we look at that objective he is doing well and I think Mick since the start of the season is doing well, he is learning, he is progressing. Obviously a few mistakes, but that's part of the learning process.

"Overall in terms of balance so far, we can be happy. What’s important for him is to continue developing and progressing in the second half but I'm confident he can do that," predicted Binotto.

Indeed it has been a baptism of fire for Mick, with a car that has had stunted development for the past two seasons has an evil tendency to ambush its occupants. Incidents have been a plenty including skirmishes with his teammate but, all in all, it can be said he is doing as good as anyone would with the kit he has to work with.

Nevertheless, he gave glimpses of his tenacity during a drama-packed Hungarian Grand Prix, in which he was way up the order thanks to conditions and circumstances that prevailed after the Turn 1 incident and the wet start. He showed a refreshing tenacity and aggression that is not out of place at the highest level of the sport.

However, it can be argued, that afternoon in Hungary he learnt more in one afternoon than he has learned all season off the pace and at the back of the field, with only the mediocrity of Mazepin to be judged by and a beleaguered Haas team to 'learn' from.

Schumacher is being primed by Ferrari, with Binotto all but guaranteeing the German a place on the F1 grid next year: “If I look at his past experience in both F2 and F3, normally he is delivering his best in the second season and not the first.

“I think Mick, the way he has developed himself, is learning a lot on the first season and becomes very strong in the second half of the second season. That’s why I think two seasons will be important for him. But already in the second, I’m expecting to see progress compared to this year."

Like this year, this will be tough to gauge, unless Haas perform miracles with their 2022 car and are at least in the midfield mix, rather than way off the pace as they are currently.

Binotto, also put himself out on a limb, when he told reporters before the start of this season: “The Ferrari Driver Academy was not created to raise Formula 1 drivers, but the next driver for Ferrari. Today it is too early to decide but there are the premises to see Mick in red in 2023.”

Not good news for Carlos Sainz who has a deal until the end of 2022 with the Reds, while Charles Leclerc recently inked a long term extension and would be the team's senior driver should 22-year-old Schumi indeed progress as Binotto and his men have planned.

While it appears likely Ferrari will keep Mick at Haas next year, he would be better served if a berth opened up at Alfa-Romeo should Raikkonen retire or they ditch Giovinazzi - partnering either two would be a far better deal than another year with Mazepin, who will stay as long as his father's money keeps the Gene Haas F1 'dream' afloat.