Former Ferrari team boss believes Mick Schumacher better than half the grid

Mick Schumacher last drove in Formula 1 in 2022 with Haas. Since leaving the sport, the son of racing legend Michael Schumacher has become part of Mercedes as a reserve driver and races for Alpine in the WEC. If it were up to former Ferrari team boss and FIA president Jean Todt, the 25-year-old German would be on the Formula 1 grid.

Since Lewis Hamilton announced his departure from Mercedes, the Silver Arrows has had links with numerous drivers who might replace him. Max Verstappen and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were mentioned as the main candidates that team boss Toto Wolff would be happy to bring to the Brackley-based team. Young Italian Antonelli seems to have the upper hand and will likely become George Russell’s teammate.

Todt praises Schumacher but believes he is ‘too nice’ for F1
Former Ferrari team boss and friend of the Schumacher family, Todt, hopes Schumacher junior will get a second chance in Formula 1. “I don’t know if Mick is one of the best drivers, but he is better than half the drivers on the F1 grid,” Todt reveals to Bild. In addition, the Frenchman thinks Schumacher possesses a ‘soft’ image. “Maybe Mick is too nice. In F1 you have to stick out your elbows.” Mick’s father Micheal was infamously known as one of the fiercest drivers on the gird.

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Schumacher struggled with his surname according to Todt
According to Todt, Schumacher’s world-famous surname eventually turned into a disadvantage for him. He also thinks Schumacher was treated unfairly at Haas. “Many people think his surname is an advantage, but it has become a disadvantage,” Todt said. “The expectations of him were unreasonable and the car was not competitive. This prevented him from showing his potential. Then the pressure on him became too high.” Concluded the former Ferrari team principal.

In 2021, Schumacher debuted at Haas as Nikita Mazepin’s teammate. He managed to beat the Russian with ease. The following year, he was joined by Kevin Magnussen. After several crashes and poor results, team boss Guenther Steiner fired Schumacher, who had to make way for the much more experienced Nico Hulkenberg.