Ralf Schumacher: I'm surprised by Steiner's behaviour

While many questioned the wisdom of placing a rookie at Haas this year, let alone two and one of the son of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher. But make no mistake about it young Mick Schumacher is there on merit.

That he is with Haas for his first season in F1 is a shame as the team is anchored to the back of the field with two cars undeveloped since the start of 2020 and plagued with a chassis that stumped veterans, Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean.

Strangely the Schumacher camp has been silent, until now.

One expects, tragically, that Michael is not making the calls for his son's future and the rest of the clam have been somewhat too silent on the state of affairs in the team run by Steiner.

And it indeed appears to be an undercurrent of chaos permeates through the team, consider that recently, Mick was in the news after Sebastian Vettel pointed out that his seat was cracked; one would imagine this is something very the team had failed to pick up.

After a chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix, in which Mick crashed (as well as Monaco and France) Steiner, told German reporters: “Mick has had some serious crashes in the last five races. A spin or two can happen, but these accidents are quite serious. It's a lot of money and for no good reason."

This clearly piqued Ralf Schumacher told Motorsport-Total: "I must say I'm very surprised how Gunther Steiner is behaving. He has said himself that he has not spoken to Mick at all afterwards and then goes to the media to criticise his driver who had already apologised.

"Mick can do no more and if it does happen... You do something like that internally, not externally. I'm very, very disappointed," said Ralf before slamming Steiner, “If we all do it externally, then we too can be honest: Haas has been at the back of the grid for three years."

Furthermore, Steiner and his team have no pedigree in developing drivers, however, Ferrari - who back Mick - believed placing him with the beleaguered team will gain him valuable experience, when a far more 'user-friendly Alfa Romeo team would have been a far better option no matter what the Scuderia say.

No matter how they spin it, from every angle it was an error sending the German rookie to the American team, which under Steiner has teetered on bankruptcy and was only saved by Uralkali millions pumped into the team to provide Nikita Mazepin a seat in the top flight.

But the financial infusion helped the team just survive and, of course, no money goes the way of development, so the hapless rookies are trying to tame an untameable car to the point that, with so many prangs, one could ask when will the parts run out?

Into this mayhem - which unfolded throughout last year, the winter and into this season - Ferrari believed it wise to fling their prized racer, a grave error made during the increasingly questionable reign of Mattia Binotto.

Last word to an understandably concerned Ralf Schumacher, Michael Schumacher's younger brother and a six-time Grand Prix winner: "What does Steiner actually do as the team boss?"