Schumacher won't follow Ecclestone's advice

Mick Schumacher has no intention of heeding the call of former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, insisting his sights are firmly set on remaining in Formula 1 for the long term.

Last week, amid reports of Schumacher being dropped by Haas and replaced by F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg for 2023, Ecclestone was asked about the young German's prospects as a Grand Prix driver.

While Ecclestone acknowledged that Schumacher's true talent was hard to judge given that he has never driven a competitive car in F1.

But the 92-year-old suggested that if he loses his seat with Haas, Schumacher would perhaps be better off forgetting about F1 altogether and applying his skills in another category of racing.

"Maybe he needs to forget F1 and focus on the other motorsport categories," commented Ecclestone.

"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."

But speaking to Bild, Schumacher said that he was determined to "keep going".

"It’s hard to forget Formula 1," he added. "I love it too much, so I won’t do that."

• Read also: Haas set to confirm Hulkenberg for 2023 line-up

The 23-year-old also said that there are only a selected few in his entourage from whom he takes or solicits advice.

"Everyone always has an opinion on everything. I care about the opinions of the people I care about," he said.

"Of course my family, and few other people from Formula 1.

"For example, Sebastian Vettel. Those are the opinions that matter to me."

This week, Haas is reportedly set to confirm Hulkenberg as Kevin Magnussen's teammate for 2023, a decision that will leave Schumacher out in the cold.

However, Michael Schumacher's son could be recruited by his father's former team, Mercedes, as a back-up and development driver.

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