Mick Schumacher has hit out at Bernie Ecclestone after the former F1 boss told Germany to quit the sport.
Schumacher is sweating over his F1 future. Far from securing his place at Haas, his contract expires at the end of the year and Gunther Steiner is looking to replace him with the more experienced Nick Hulkenberg in 2023.
The Haas team boss said this week that he could announce his decision ahead of the drivers’ test after next weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. So, with the end of the saga on the horizon and his return to the F1 paddock for the first time since his comments about the controversial Vladimir Putin, Ecclestone weighed in on Schumacher’s future.
“Maybe he should forget about Formula 1 and focus on other motorsport series,” he told German TV station RTL. “His name is his biggest burden, but he tries to fulfill it as much as possible. And it brings him all the problems. That’s why [he] should forget it and win another category.”
In response to this opinion, Schumacher made it clear that he did not put much value in what Eccleston thought. “My intention is to continue in the same spirit, it’s hard to forget Formula 1. I love it so much, so I won’t,” he said in Brazil.
“Everyone always has an opinion about everything. The opinions of people I care about are important to me. Of course, my family and other formula 1 people. For example, Sebastian Vettel. This review is important to me. “
Mick Schumacher fights for his F1 future (
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(Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Speaking about the upcoming pilot, Steiner told reporters, “Hopefully next week we’ll announce something, whatever it is.” However, he warned against it, and added: “That is my goal, but I do not promise.
“We want the driver to be behind the wheel at the Abu Dhabi test next year, that’s what we want to do. For the rest, we try to make the best decision we can and time helps us make the right decision.
“We have done a lot, we have studied a lot, what we have done this year, how we can improve the team. It doesn’t come to a race as many say, although that is a fantasy. Here at Jati we only think about the medium term, not just the short term. The short period was a few years ago.’