‘Mick Schumacher joined the wrong team – Red Bull would have been better for him’
Bernie Ecclestone is convinced Mick Schumacher joined the wrong F1 team – insisting Red Bull would have been a better fit for the young German driver.
Schumacher – the son of legendary seven-time F1 champion Michael – is without a seat in 2023 after he was brutally axed by Haas.
The 23-year-old paid the ultimate price for a number of disastrous crashes and his failure to score points last season.
He could not compete with Haas teammate Kevin Magnusson and was therefore replaced by his more experienced compatriot Nico Hulkenberg by ruthless team boss Guenther Steiner.
And Schumacher has now joined Mercedes as a reserve driver as he prepares for a year on the sidelines away from the paddock.
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But former F1 kingpin Ecclestone is adamant that Christian Horner’s Red Bull would have nurtured his talent better than Haas. The 92-year-old believes Schumacher will now find it very difficult to get another opportunity on the F1 grid after being ditched by the US manufacturers.
“He was with the wrong team,” Ecclestone told Sport Bild. “Red Bull would have been better for him. They would have cared more for him there and built him up.
“The burden of the name is heavy. Living up to that name is Mick’s biggest problem. It will be difficult for him to find a cockpit now – especially one in which he can win. Sorry to say it.”
(Image: Getty Images)
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Ecclestone also suggested that Schumacher’s career has also suffered without the guidance of his iconic father by his side in the paddock. F1 great Michael has not been seen publicly since his tragic skiing accident back in December 2013.
“With Michael as a consultant at his side, Mick could be a regular driver in the cockpit of a good team,” the former chief executive of F1 added.
“With all his experience, Michael could have given his son so many details. He would have shown him the right way, in terms of driving, but also politically.”
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