Sebastian Vettel believes Haas "could certainly have done better" as he reacted to the news that his friend Mick Schumacher will lose his Formula 1 seat next year.
The team announced on Thursday morning that they will replace Schumacher with Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 season. It comes after months of speculation over the 23-year-old's future, and a lengthy wait for him to discover whether or not his first stint in F1 would end after two years.
Reacting to the news, Schumacher said in a statement that he was "very disappointed with the decision". He also made it clear that he intends for his F1 departure to be a temporary one, adding: "The subject is anything but closed for me – setbacks only make you stronger."
Speaking to Sky Germany, Vettel made clear his belief that Haas have made a mistake. More than that, he appeared to question team principal Guenther Steiner's leadership as he criticised the decision-making process.
"Obviously it's bitter for him and I am sorry for him," said the four-time world champion. "I believe the team leadership at Haas is sometimes... yeah... I don't want to say but sometimes difficult to understand.
"I think Mick absolutely deserves a seat. The season was certainly not easy for him, here and there, maybe he did a mistake but I think the team was also not blameless or innocent, at least from the outside. Now I think he is concentrating on the new task, the next steps that will come, I believe and hope he gets a chance because he has the potential.
"The environment is extremely important for every driver. Even if some drivers make it seem like it doesn't matter, the driver who doesn't care doesn't exist and never has. As far as that is concerned, Haas could certainly have done better. Now it is like this. I think Mick learned a lot and will learn from the situation and hopefully come back stronger very soon."
Explaining the decision to replace Schumacher, Steiner said: "While choosing to go in separate directions for the future, the entire team wishes Mick well for the next steps in his career path and beyond. I'm naturally very pleased to be welcoming Nico Hulkenberg back to a full-time racing role in Formula 1.
"The experience and knowledge base Nico brings to the team is clear to see – with nearly 200 career starts in Formula 1 – and a reputation as being a great qualifier and a solid, reliable racer. These are attributes, which when you pair them together with Kevin Magnussen's experience, gives us a very credible and well-seasoned driver line-up which we believe will help push the team onwards up the grid."
