AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost has backed Mick Schumacher for a sensational return to the sport.
Tost has long been an admirer of Schumacher, aware that the 24-year-old talent has uncapped potential and believes the driver deserves to be on the grid.
“Mick is better than his reputation, I am convinced he has what it takes to be a very good Formula 1 driver,” Tost told SPORT 1.
“He has won the two most important junior categories, and that alone qualifies him to drive in Formula 1. And that has nothing to do with the magic of his name.
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“I pointed out (when expressing interest in Schumacher) that in today’s complex Formula 1, even the greatest talents need at least three years to unleash their potential without test drives. However, the decision was made at the highest level not to take him.
“I can only hope for him to come back as a regular driver.”
Schumacher’s F1 debut came under Guenther Steiner at Haas F1 team.
However, after just two seasons in the sport, Haas decided to part ways with Schumacher, ultimately unconvinced by the hype.
In his rookie season, Schumacher failed to register a point but continuously outperformed teammate Nikita Mazepin.
In 2022 the driver was able to showcase snippets of his ability, most notably finishing 8th at Silverstone and 6th in Austria.
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But it seems his last season in F1 (for now) will be remembered for heavy crashes that internally and externally damaged Haas, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Monaco.
After Nico Hulkenberg replaced Schumacher for the 2023 season, Toto Wolff came to the aid of the young talent and brought him in as a reserve driver for Mercedes.
It will be interesting to see which teams show an interest with 8-time race winner Daniel Ricciardo also on the hunt for a seat.