Haas F1 boss criticizes Mick Schumacher for costing the team money, but says the driver still has a shot to keep his job

• Mick Schumacher still has a shot to return to Haas and remain in F1 beyond 2022.
• Gene Haas says Schumacher needs to score points in the final four races of the season.

Mick Schumacher still has a shot to keep his spot in Formula One, but only if he can figure out how to start delivering some points over the season's final four races.

Haas F1 team owner Gene Haas was asked about Schumacher's future with the team before Sunday's NASCAR playoff race in Las Vegas. While Haas was critical of Schumacher's performance to date, he said the driver still controls his future in F1.

"We're just waiting," Haas told the Associated Press. "We need Mick to bring some points, and we're trying to give him as much time as possible to see what he can do. If he wants to stay with us, he's got to show us that he can score some more points. That's what we are waiting for."

Schumacher, the son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, is 16th in the standings and has scored points in just two races this season — eighth in the British Grand Prix and sixth in the Austrian Grand Prix. In the seven races since Austria, he has not finished higher than 12th.

Haas was especially critical of how much money Schumacher had cost the team with his wrecks.

"I think Mick has got a lot of potential," Haas said. "But, you know, he costs a fortune, and he's wrecked a lot of cars that have cost us a lot of money that we just don't have. Now, if you bring us some points, and you are (Max) Verstappen and you wreck cars, we'll deal with it. But when you are in the back and you wreck cars, that's very difficult."

The most recent wreck came during the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix and was also the most perplexing. While the track was wet, Schumacher lost control and crashed into a barrier after the session had ended, and he was returning to the garage area.

Schumacher is not signed beyond this season, and his seat is one of two that remain in doubt for 2023. If he does not re-sign with Haas, Schumacher might still have a shot at moving over to Williams to replace Nicholas Latifi.

Williams boss Jost Capito confirmed Schumacher is an option to join the team, saying the young driver deserves to remain in F1.

Haas is eighth in the constructor standings. Teammate Kevin Magnussen is 14th in the championship standings but has also failed to score any points in the last seven races.