F1: Mick Schumacher’s crash at Saudi Arabia GP could be a $1 million hit for Haas

Haas may have to spend $1 million after
Mick Schumacher’s crash in last weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix qualifying,
team boss Guenther Steiner.

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The German driver missed Sunday’s race in
Jeddah, despite being unhurt in the impact, with the shattered car needing a
complete rebuild.

On Saturday, during the qualifying for the
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Formula One fans were gripped with fear after Haas
driver Mick Schumaker lost control over the curb and crashed into Turn-12. The
23-year-old’s car went flying into the barriers on either side of the track
before he remained seated in the cockpit for what seemed an eternity.

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Immediately, ambulance services appeared on
the scene, and Mick Schumacher was airlifted to the hospital for further
checks. Although the Formula One driver said he was ‘OK’, the horrifying crash
immediately reminded former world champion Mika Hakkinen of Mick’s father, the
legendary Michael Schumacher.

While the Haas driver was lucky to have
suffered no injuries, two-time world champion Hakkinen was reminded of two
traumatic incidents. The first incident was when the 53-year-old almost died in
a horrifying qualifying crash ahead of the 1995 Australian Grand Prix.

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In the Friday afternoon qualifying session
of the 1995 Australian GP, Mika Hakkinen, in his McLaren car, suffered a
puncture in his left rear tyre heading towards Brewery Bend. This caused him to
lose control, become airborne and crash heavily into a tyre barrier at 120 mph.
The impact caused his helmet to strike the steering wheel, fracturing his
skull, which Mick Schumacher’s crash brought back painful memories of.

“The chassis in itself doesn’t seem to
be broken, the side impact structure … the engine also, I was told from
Ferrari, seems to be okay, the battery pack as well, and then all the rest is
broken,” Steiner told reporters.

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“I think the cost is still pretty high
because all the suspension is gone, except the front left. I think there’s
still something on there. The rest is just like powder, carbon powder.

“I don’t know money-wise as yet but
these cars, between gearbox, the whole bodywork’s gone, radiator … between
half a million to a million (dollars) I would say,” added Steiner when
asked about the cost of new parts.

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Haas made a strong start to the season and
are fifth overall with Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen scoring points in Bahrain and
Saudi Arabia.

Steiner said Haas would bring upgrades to
the car but everything needed to be managed carefully to maximise performance
under the budget with 21 races remaining.

The next round is the Australian Grand Prix
in Melbourne on April 10.