Mattia Binotto turns Sauber F1 rejecting Mick Schumacher on

Sauber boss Mattia Binotto has claimed Mercedes’ Toto Wolff should bear the same questions over the choice not to grant Mick Schumacher a 2025 Formula 1 drive.

The announcement earlier this week that Gabriel Bortoleto will race with Sauber next season has all but ended Schumacher’s small chance of returning to the F1 grid.

Schumacher has been eager to receive a second chance in the series since Haas elected to drop him once his crash-strewn sophomore campaign concluded in 2022.

But although Binotto revealed that he was among the Audi-owned team’s candidates to partner Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber has chosen Bortoleto to complete its line-up.

The Swiss-Italian engineer, who worked with Schumacher during his time at Ferrari, has insisted the German remained on Sauber’s list up until it decided on Bortoleto.

Asked whether Schumacher was someone that he contemplated, Binotto replied: “Yeah. We had several talks, he was certainly a strong candidate.

“I know him very well from the past and I know his strengths and maybe his weaknesses as well, but certainly I think he would have been a good choice.

Binotto questions Mercedes
Binotto has argued that he should not be alone in being quizzed about his decision to overlook Schumacher as he pointed out Mercedes also elected to do the same.

Schumacher, a Mercedes reserve driver since last term, wasn’t considered when the team selected Andrea Kimi Antonelli to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.

“I think that maybe we should ask the same of Toto: why Kimi and not Mick?” Binotto continued.