Amid reports that Mick Schumacher is set to lose his seat at Haas to Nico Hulkenberg, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone advises the young German to "forget F1" , move on and focus on winning in another category.
Haas team boss Guenther Steiner recently hinted that a decision regarding the identity of the driver who will partner Kevin Magnussen at the US outfit next season is imminent.
It appears that the team's choice has boiled down to keeping Schumacher on board for a third season or banking on Hulkenberg's experience to improve its results in 2023.
Magnussen himself believes that Schumacher deserves to remain on the grid, despite a difficult campaign marked by two high-profile crashes in the first half of the season.
Ecclestone admits that the 23-year-old's talent is hard to judge given that he's never driven a competitive car. But based on what he's seen, Mr. E believes that if Schumacher loses his seat with Haas, his skills would prove more productive if applied to a different category than F1.
"I don’t think he will be there," Ecclestone told RTL when asked about Schumacher's prospects. "People were disappointed with his performance.
"We don’t know whether it was because of him or the team, but of course it’s difficult to find someone to put him on a winning team. Because he’s not in one at the moment."
©Haas
Schumacher's name certainly helped the young gun gain exposure and sponsorship during his formative years in the sport, but Ecclestone believes patronym is now a burden.
"Maybe he needs to forget F1 and focus on the other motorsport categories. His name is his biggest burden, but he tries to live up to it as best he can.
"And that’s what gets him into all his troubles. Therefore, forget it and win in another category."
Despite Hulkenberg's status as an F1 'veteran', Haas might be more willing to entrust its car to the 35-year-old whom they believe will deliver solid points to the team and therefore boost its financial revenue.
"It’s not about age, but mental state," Ecclestone concluded. "Look at Juan Manuel Fangio – he started at an age when everyone stopped long ago."
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