Since team boss Günther Steiner decided at the end of 2022 not to give Mick Schumacher another year the chance to gain a foothold in the motorsport premier class Formula 1, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher has been waiting. Although he will act as a reserve driver for Mercedes and McLaren in 2023, a regular cockpit is not (yet) in sight. It is not uncommon for Steiner to be blamed for this – this time too.
“An unsuccessful team boss has ensured that Mick’s career in Formula 1 is over for the time being. But what about the statements of a man who only became a superstar through hearty sayings in a Hollywood-directed documentary aimed at the US market of the paddock?”, attacked the legendary Bernie Ecclestone, longtime Formula 1 boss and companion of Mick’s father Michael, Steiner to “Sport1”.
Because of his striking sayings, Steiner became one of the star protagonists of the “Netflix” documentary “Drive to Survive”, which has accompanied the F1 World Championship since 2018. The fact that he is accused of at least slowing down Mick Schumacher’s career is nothing new for the 58-year-old.
The negative echo, which sounds especially from Germany, is difficult for Steiner to understand, as he recently explained on “Sport1”.
“One thing is certain: I didn’t want to destroy his career. We didn’t have anything against him, we decided in favor of the team,” the Italian clarified in an interview with the TV station. However, the name Schumacher is also “a curse and a blessing at the same time”, Steiner referred to the high expectations that are almost automatically placed on the offspring of record world champion Michael Schumacher.
Alpha Tauri boss wanted to get Mick Schumacher
Regardless, another F1 team boss has a much more positive assessment of Mick Schumacher’s abilities. “Mick is better than his reputation. He has won the two most important junior classes, that alone entitles him to drive in Formula 1,” explained Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost, who left at the end of the year, “Sport1”.
Tost even wanted to order Schumacher into the Red Bull junior team, but failed because of politics: “I pointed out that in today’s complex Formula 1 without test drives, even the greatest talents would need at least three years to call up their potential. But it was decided at the top not to take him on. Part of the reason was that he was still a member of the Ferrari junior squad at the time.”
Whether and when Mick Schumacher will return to a regular cockpit is therefore still in the stars. Recently, however, rumors have germinated that two racing teams are quite interested in the German.