Mick Schumacher: Ex-F1 boss Ecclestone shoots at Haas – "Was on the wrong team"

formula 1

After his first two years as a regular driver with Team Haas, Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career is currently on hold. As a test driver at Mercedes, he will continue to be there very closely, but – as long as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are ready for action – the 23-year-old will not be allowed on the track for the time being.

25-year-old George Russell celebrated his first race win at the penultimate race of the season in Brazil.Image: AP / Marcelo Chello

Mick Schumacher is therefore hardly disappointed. Instead, in media appearances he regularly emphasizes how grateful he is for every lesson learned and for everything he has already experienced in Formula 1. He is also looking ahead, most recently he was confident that he would have his own cockpit again next year.

That doesn’t mean that the disappointment doesn’t run deep: German motorsport fans have resigned after the Haas-Aus of the last German F1 talent, too Bernie Ecclestone deeply regrets Mick Schumacher’s involuntary career break. In conversation with “sports picture“The former managing director of Formula 1 is looking for reasons for Schumacher’s stagnant career.

Ecclestone was CEO of the Formula 1 holding company “SLEC” for decades until 2017.Image: www.imago-images.de / Motorsport Images

Ecclestone: Michael would have ‘shown Mick the right way’

“I’m sorry for Mick!” The 92-year-old ex-boss declared. “The burden of his name is heavy. Living up to his name is his biggest problem,” Ecclestone refers to the expectations that weighed on the world champion son from the start.

Papa Michael had won the overall classification of Formula 1 a total of seven times – in 1994 and 95 with Team Benetton, from 2000 to 2004 in a Ferrari. The records for the most race victories and pole positions could only be taken from him in recent years by Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton (left) has been there for so long that he was even allowed to compete with F1 legend Michael Schumacher (right).Image: imago / Motorsport Images

Now Schumacher’s son Mick is supposed to help that same Hamilton to win more races by collecting valuable test data and supporting the British in preparing for the race. Mick is of course grateful: “It’s great to talk to the engineers and the drivers here and just learn from them,” he recently told “Sky”.

Last year, Schumacher (left) and Hamilton (right) were still competitors. Now Mick should learn from the seven-time world champion.Image: IMAGO / HochZwei

Bernie Ecclestone also knows how important it is in the premier class to be taken by the hand by experienced drivers. “Michael could have given his son so many details, with all his experience,” the Briton continues to struggle with the fate of the record world champion. “He would have shown him the right way, in terms of driving, but also politically.”

Since a serious skiing accident in 2013, Michael Schumacher has been completely withdrawn from the public eye. Nothing is known about his current state of health.

Ecclestone shoots against Haas: “Red Bull would be for [Mick] been better”

But Mick could not only have benefited from his father on the track, Ecclestone believes: “With Michael as an advisor at his side, Mick would be a regular driver in the cockpit of a good team.” Without his support, it would be difficult for Mick to get a regular cockpit. “Especially one in which he can win,” emphasizes the ex-F1 boss.

That was also the problem of his first two racing seasons. “[Mick] was in the wrong team,” Ecclestone sums up harshly. “Red Bull would have been better for him. There they would have taken care of him more and built him up,” he explains in “Sport Bild”. Accordingly, Haas boss Günther Steiner put unnecessary pressure on his young driver instead of letting him perform in peace.

Haas boss Günther Steiner received a lot of criticism after Schumacher-Aus at Haas.Image: www.imago-images.de / Beautiful Sports

Now Mick Schumacher has to start from scratch as the third driver at Mercedes. The 23-year-old himself is confident that he will soon be a regular driver again.

Bernie Ecclestone even predicts that Schumacher could soon be in pole position for a top cockpit: “One thing I know for sure: if [Hamilton] wins this eighth title, he resigns immediately.” At the same time, the 92-year-old is certain that Mercedes “will not afford another flop like this [wird] like last year.” But there is no clear favorite for the 2023 World Cup title.