Ecclestone saw Mick Schumacher "in the wrong hands"

Mick Schumacher is now only marginally involved in Formula 1. The former boss of the premier class also sees Ferrari and Schumacher's former team Haas as responsible for this: "Schumacher was in the wrong hands" there, says Bernie Ecclestone.

In Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone, the legendary former impresario of the premier class of motorsport, no longer has any operational say. However, the former boss still has a strong opinion on the processes surrounding the racing series, which he sold for more than four billion US dollars in 2016. This includes the career of Mick Schumacher, whose father Michael rose to become one of the greatest idols in the history of motorsport in Ecclestone's Formula 1. "I think so," says Ecclestone in an exclusive interview with RTL/ntv and sport.de when asked whether the name Schumacher is a problem for Mick Schumacher. After two years as a regular driver for Haas, Schumacher had to vacate his cockpit with the US team at the end of the 2022 season; this season, he is only a simulator driver and test driver for Mercedes.

In 2024, the 24-year-old will drive for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The goal, however, remains a regular seat in Formula 1. "He has to fight, he has to keep at it and show that he is still in a position to deliver good performances. People will then find him, and he doesn't have to find the people who offer him the opportunity to race," said Ecclestone, analyzing Schumacher's situation. "In the best case scenario, people will see him and say: We need him. And not the other way around: that he is looking for someone to take him on because of his name. He should forget his name and develop as a person," was the clear advice from the 93-year-old, who was Managing Director of Formula 1 until 2017.

"Cost us a fortune"

The first attempt to establish himself in Formula 1 was a failure. In the uncompetitive Haas, Schumacher was usually far behind. In the first year, he was at least able to distance himself from his team-mate Nikita Mazepin, but in the second season, Schumacher produced expensive scrap metal in several serious accidents. "Another half a million euros of scrap! That simply can't happen on the last lap back to the pits," team boss Günther Steiner once railed against his driver to "F1TV". Team owner Gene Haas echoed this sentiment: "I think Mick has a lot of potential, but you know he's costing us a fortune and he's wrecked a lot of cars." At the end of their short time together, there were few championship points and a lot of trouble. The contract with Schumacher was ultimately not extended.

The way Schumacher was treated annoyed Ecclestone, who saw the young driver "in the wrong hands" at the start of his Formula 1 career. A clear side blow against Haas and team boss Günther Steiner, with whom Schumacher did not get off to a good start, and also against the Ferrari academy for young talent, where Schumacher was trained. "He would have been better understood at Red Bull, for example, where he would have been helped and guided to the top," Ecclestone is certain.

"Then it could happen..."

If Schumacher, who will also be part of Formula 1 as a test driver for Mercedes in 2024, now performs strongly in the World Endurance Championship, the path could once again lead back to one of the scarce and highly coveted cockpits in the premier class. The detour via the WEC is probably "currently the only and best thing he can do", believes Ecclestone. It is "good that he can show himself, preferably with good performances. Then it could happen that those responsible in Formula 1 rethink and say: 'Maybe we made a mistake. We'll try again'," said the Briton.

However, the foray into the new series will not be a sure-fire success. "A rough wind is blowing against Mick Schumacher in the WEC," predicts RTL racing expert Felix Görner in an interview with sport.de/ntv.de. With manufacturers such as Ferrari, Toyota and Porsche, the championship is "almost a who's who" of motorsport. The newcomers Alpine and Schumacher, on the other hand, come into the series "as underdogs", Görner clarifies.

"This will be a training year, hopefully not a blank year. There are plenty of top drivers in the WEC who have been in endurance racing for years and have proven themselves. Nobody is trembling now because Mick Schumacher is joining. You can't set your expectations too high. It's a feeling-out process at first. I think Mick himself is curious to see how good he is with this rocket with a roof. Maybe he'll have so much experience by the season highlight at Le Mans in June that he can play a good role and finish in the best position."