Michael Schumacher's son 'not nurtured correctly' as ex-F1 boss gives brutal verdict
Former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner gave Mick Schumacher his first F1 drive but also axed him after two season, and doubts Michael's son's chances of reviving his stalled career
Mick Schumacher's former Formula 1 boss believes his talent has "not been nurtured correctly" and doubts the German's chances of returning to the sport his father Michael once dominated.
Much was expected of young Mick when he got his chance to race in F1 in 2021. Signed by Haas, big things were expected from the former Ferrari junior given his Formula 2 title success the previous year, but mostly because of his seven-time champion father.
Heartbreakingly, F1 legend Michael has not been able to closely follow his son's racing journey for many years since his skiing accident in 2013. Schumacher suffered life-changing injuries and, though details of his condition have been kept private, it is believed he still requires round-the-clock care a decade later.
And, in his absence, Guenther Steiner feels Mick would have benefitted from a mentor. Unfortunately, the younger Schumacher was given the boot by Steiner after two years with the team in which he scored points on just two occasions in 43 starts.
In his new book 'Unfiltered', the 59-year-old writes: "If I had my time with Mick again, I would encourage him to employ a manager and/or an adviser. Somebody who has experience in racing and who can mentor him. You cannot go into a major sport with the amount of responsibility and pressure he had on his shoulders without having someone like that in your entourage. It's ridiculous.
"His father, Michael, had become world champion at the age of 22 and had [manager] Willi Weber by his side for years. Why didn't Mick have someone like that? Look, Mick Schumacher has plenty of talent - that is not up for debate - but, in my opinion, that talent has not been nurtured correctly.
"I thought I was doing my bit by giving him the chance to cut his teeth in an F1 car but, in the end, it wasn't enough. Everyone should have done more, including him." In a wide-ranging interview this week, Mirror Sport asked Steiner to clarify what he meant by his "not nurtured correctly" comment and, in response, he compared the situation to that of Oscar Piastri.
The Australian racer is flying in just his second F1 season and has won two races this year with McLaren. He too came into the sport with a burgeoning reputation after winning three junior series in a row but was helped by former F1 racer Mark Webber, who helped him to deal with the pressure and show his best performances.
That relationship is exactly what Steiner believes Schumacher would have benefitted greatly from. He said: "Look at Oscar Piastri at the moment. He's doing very well. Who is looking after him? You cannot replicate something, but I put down the maturity and how he conducts himself, how he races, a lot to Mark.
"I spoke with Mark about it and he says, 'No no, the guy is okay'. Yeah Mark, because he has somebody he can ask anything because you have been through the same just 20 years before him. You have been through the same, you are a very correct person, you did the other side of life in Formula 1 the pundit side so you know that industry as well, the journalistic side so you know what to expect.
"He is not self-serving, Mark is not there for Mark, Mark is there for Oscar. A lot of it, and I am very open about it with Mark, he doesn't want any credit for it. He doesn't mind. You don't have to be shy, in my world you have got to give a lot of credit for what the guy is doing.
"Obviously, Oscar is a smart guy as well, he believes and follows what Mark says and he doesn't try to fight him. The combination of them is very good - it's very difficult to find this combination. I think it is one of those things which happens maybe once every 20 years, that two people... and they are from the same country as well.
"Something like this for sure would have helped Mick. If his father would have been around, that would have helped him as well. He wouldn't have to go far with that one because his father is one of the best drivers around.
"I explain it like this, with an example, rather than anything else because otherwise it is just negativity coming out, that I critique people. Get someone around you who has done the same and gone through it, learned from it and who can give you experience without paying the price for it."
Since he was shown the door by Haas, Schumacher has struggled to land another opportunity to race in F1. He was immediately snapped up as a reserve driver by his father's former team Mercedes and has been an understudy to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, and has taken part in several test days.
To keep his racing sharp, he has competed in the World Endurance Championship this season with Alpine. But he was overlooked for a spot on the French outfit's 2025 F1 roster with rookie Jack Doohan promoted instead. There is only one seat left for next season at the Audi-backed Sauber team, but Mick is not believed to be a front-runner.
Should Schumacher spend another year on the sidelines, Steiner thinks it is unlikely he will be able to return to the F1 grid unless circumstances go in his favour. He added: "It is difficult. There is still a seat out there this year and I don't know where they stand. I haven't spoken to Mattia [Binotto, Sauber chief operating officer] for quite a while now, a few weeks, so I don't know - I think it changes daily with them.
"If he is not getting one this year, he is out of Formula 1 for three years and he was in it for only two years. We need to be realistic - it will be very difficult and it needs to be a special circumstance that he gets a seat or he can jump in as a reserve driver and shows what he can do. Then, it is possible - otherwise, not easy."
UNFILTERED: My Incredible Decade in Formula 1 by Guenther Steiner publishes on October 10 (Bantam, £22).
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
