Schumacher blames spray for Japanese GP FP1 crash

Schumacher, on his first appearance driving at Suzuka, suffered a big crash after the chequered flag in FP1 while he was on his way back to the pits following a practice start. 

The German escaped from the accident unhurt but the impact caused significant damage to his VF-22, forcing him to sit out of second practice while his team carried out a chassis change. 

After being caught out by spray thrown up by a car ahead, Schumacher failed to spot the puddle that resulted in him aquaplaning into the barriers at the Dunlop curve.  

"You are trying to figure out the track itself, obviously it’s my first time here, so I was trying to see where the puddles are because that's something that is very different in every place you go to, Schumacher explained. 

“And unfortunately here the water seems to accumulate quite a bit in certain areas and it is a matter of understanding that. 

"But it was I think more from the fact that we had a car ahead which threw up a lot of spray, hence we didn't really see much of where to put the car.

“And on top of that we were in a mode which we tried to learn as much as we can from to be able to have all the right settings for the race.”

Mick Schumacher found the barrier on his way back to the pits at the end of FP1 #JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/rvsZWOlCoM

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 7, 2022

Schumacher added: “Had it happened two metres later I would have had a 360 spin and kept going. 

“Things happen for a reason, and I don't know what the reason behind that is now, but in ten years' time I will. Maybe I don't need to wait for ten years!”

The timing of the crash isn’t good for Schumacher, who is danger of losing his seat at Haas for F1 2023. 

Schumacher is believed to be facing direct competition from Aston Martin reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg to be Kevin Magnussen’s teammate next year. 

Haas boss Guenther Steiner admitted it was “quite frustrating” the team had to change Schumacher’s chassis for the third time this season following his heavy crashes in Saudi Arabia and Monaco. 

But the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher dismissed the notion he is now under even more pressure amid an uncertain future. 

"Pressure is something I have been dealing with for quite some time and I would say even all my life, so I don't mind that," Schumacher said. 

"I want to do my best, so it doesn't matter what happened before and we take one thing at a time and that is now FP3 tomorrow and qualifying."