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Mick Schumacher's mixed season with Haas has left us all wondering about his position in F1. Schumacher undoubtedly needs to push more if he is to ever become a world champion, but there is also no doubt that he has it in him to do it.
Notably, by the summer break, Mick Schumacher had earned his first points this season and given some remarkable drives. Further, the German was not afraid to even fight off the likes of Max Verstappen for position gains.
However, if reports are to be believed, his contract with Haas will come to a natural end in 2022, and links to AlphaTauri are already doing the rounds.
Funnily enough, this year's drivers' market took a dramatic turn when Sebastian Vettel decided to leave Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso then announced a shocking move to the British team while McLaren were at war with Alpine to retain Oscar Piastri's services.
There are currently 5 seats remaining in the market and Haas is one of them. So, if Mick Schumacher is indeed off the table for the American outfit, Guenther Steiner and co. are surely on the lookout to find their perfect driver for 2023.
1) Nico Hulkenberg's experience is commendable
The German is well accustomed to the world of F1 after spending years here post-winning in F2. He has driven for Williams, Sauber, Force India and Renault. He is often mocked for not making it to the podium ever, the driver is still rated rather decently.
Though the German has failed to acquire an F1 seat since 2020 he still has more experience than Mick Schumacher and could be the key to Haas' climb to F1 glory. Though he shares a rather colorful past with Kevin Magnussen, the two seem to have buried the hatchet.
In its entirety, this move could be good for Hulkenberg too after we saw what Magnussen did when he was given a second chance. He currently acts as an Aston Martin reserve driver and stepped in for Sebastian Vettel in the season-opening races. So, the German also has some experience with the new generation cars as well.
2) Antonio Giovinazzi has Ferrari ties just like Mick Schumacher
The Italian is another decently rated talent and has risen up the ranks of the Ferrari driver's academy. Even now, he acts as the Maranello camp's reserve driver and has worked incredibly hard for the team. Further, he has already spent three years with Alfa Romeo and knows how these Ferrari sister teams work.
He even had the chance to replace Mick Schumacher and K-Mag in the opening sessions of the Italian and US GP this year. Honestly, he could well be in contention to take a seat alongside K-Mag next year.
Even Haas team principal Guenther Steiner had some good words to say about him:
“We’re happy to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi back to the team for the two FP1 outings. Ferrari were keen to give Antonio some seat time in a current-spec Formula One car on a race weekend and we were naturally happy to assist.We enjoyed a similar situation back in 2017 with Antonio and Ferrari."
Clearly, a natural liking and shared experience in many Ferrari workspaces could give Giovinazzi the upper hand.
3) Daniel Ricciardo's prolific career
This is very sought-after news for Formula 1 fans in general as they look forward to having their beloved Daniel Ricciardo back on the grid for 2023. He is currently without a seat for next year, after McLaren dropped the driver in favor of young Aussie Oscar Piastri.
Though it is true that his performances have been unlike himself at the British team, there is no doubt that he still has more to give to the community. Ricciardo is an eight-time Grand Prix winner who fears nothing when he gets to his winning ways.
Fortunately for him and his fans, the Australian has indeed been named as one of Mick Schumacher's possible replacements, and many expect this pairing to work great together.
The 33-year-old also has the backing of several F1 stars. This includes Lewis Hamilton, who only had nice things to say about him:
“I think he should be racing, personally. I think he’s far too talented and he’s earned the right to be amongst us all racing. But of course if he’s a part of our team that would be great, but I mean, third [driver] role is not really I think what’s best for him, so if I was managing him, you’d be racing."
So, here are the top three entries who could replace Mick Schumacher next season. Well, nobody knows for sure, but maybe Ricciardo has the best shot at it given his race-winning drives and incredible talent, which is definitely a cut above the rest.
