The Formula 1 old boys have given their verdict on the current situation surrounding young talent Mick Schumacher.
Former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone has taken the opportunity to slam Haas team boss Gunther Steiner in a scorching attack that also criticised Drive To Survive.
“An unsuccessful team boss ensured that Mick’s career in Formula 1 is over for the time being,” he said.
“What should you think of the statements of a man who only became a superstar in the paddock thanks to rude comments in a Hollywood documentary aimed at the US market?” Ecclestone added.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Ecclestone lamented the treatment of Schumacher under Steiner when the driver spent two seasons at Haas.
Schumacher showed moments of class, but relations deteriorated with consistency hard to come by and damage to the car hard to avoid.
The soon-to-be-retired AlphaTauri team principal Franz Tost was saddened by the decision to cut Schumacher loose.
“Mick is better than his reputation,” he said.
“He has won the two most important junior classes, which alone entitles him to drive in Formula 1.
“I always point out that in today’s complex Formula 1 without testing, even the greatest talents need at least three years to reach their potential.
“I can only hope for him that he can come back as a regular driver,
“Because I’m convinced he has what it takes to be a very good Formula 1 driver.
“And that has nothing to do with the magic of his name.”
Tost has a close relationship with the Schumacher family and throughout his career, had a steady eye for emerging talent – Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, and Daniel Ricciardo to name a few.
The AlphaTauri team boss attempted to take matters into his own hands as he proposed to Red Bull that the team bring in Schumacher to race for his outfit, the move was eventually vetoed.
Dr Helmut Marko had a similar advance dismissed in an attempt to replace rookie Nyck de Vries with Schumacher. The matter was mentioned in a meeting but never materialized.
Marko, never shy to slander the name of Toto Wolff, appeared to also blame Mercedes for Mick’s situation.
READ: Lando Norris says Lewis Hamilton moment was low point of his career
“It’s just stupid that Mr Wolff at the same time openly made played politics against us with the FIA again. With that, the topic was off the table,
“Why should we take Schumacher? He is a Mercedes driver so Mr Wolff is responsible for him now.
“If he thinks so highly of him, why not let him drive in his own team or use his influence to get him into a customer team like Williams?” Marko claimed.