Michael Schumacher says Norbert Haug’s exit will leave ‘a massive hole’ – Formula 1 news
Michael Schumacher, who has recently retired from F1, has stated that Norbert Haug’s exit from Mercedes will leave a massive hole in the world of motorsports.
“Since I entered professional motorsport, Mercedes and Norbert Haug together were part of it, so this step will mark a big break,” Schumacher told his official website. “We spend a lot of years together, being sporting combatants or allies, and Norbert has
always been into this with full enthusiasm and wholeheartedly. He was living motorsports, and him leaving will tear a massive hole in both our sport and our team.”
Schumacher had returned to F1 after his first retirement with a three-year deal with Mercedes.
After the announcement of his exit, Haug thanked Mercedes for which he has been working for the past 22 years. He said that he has not spent a single moment in these years without passion and that he is greatly thankful to his colleagues for working hard
with him in achieving the goals they have over these years. He expressed his disappointment with Mercedes AMG that they could not reach the goals they wanted to except a single win in 2012. However, he told that they have laid the plans for improving and will
achieve their set goals in the future.
It was also being speculated that Haug might have taken the decision to step down because of Mercedes’ new non-executive chairman, Niki Lauda but Haug is denied that there is any such issue. He insisted that it was a mutual decision taken by him and the
board.
Head of Mercedes-Benz cars, Dr. Dieter Zetsche, has also expressed his appreciation for Haug. He said that Haug remained the face of the Mercedes-Benz Motorsport programme for more than two decades. Zetsche said that he is thankful to him for his extraordinary
commitment to the company and the three pointed star which represents Mercedes.
Mercedes made its debut in 2010 after buying Brawn GP with Schumacher and Nico Rosberg but the team failed to be much successful over the next three years. Lewis Hamilton is going to replace Schumacher in 2013.
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