P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ex-Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone has criticised Haas’ treatment of Mick Schumacher, insisting it used his “name “and wasn’t “interested”
Schumacher made his debut in Formula 1 with the Haas team in 2021, but was dropped after his second season in favor of Nico Hulkenberg. Despite efforts to return to the grid, Schumacher was unable to secure a spot and will now split his time between competing in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine and serving as Mercedes’ F1 reserve driver. The former team principal of Haas, Guenther Steiner, claimed that Schumacher’s numerous crashes cost him his F1 seat, amounting to an estimated $700,000 in damages. However, Bernie Ecclestone, who witnessed the career of Mick’s seven-time champion father in Formula 1, believes that Haas only valued Schumacher for his famous name and was not interested in his skills as a driver. The Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive revealed that Schumacher’s presence attracted sponsors to Haas, including German company 1&1 AG. Steiner recently argued that Haas would not have survived the Covid pandemic without his ability to source revenue, but Ecclestone’s comments suggest a different perspective on the team’s motivations.
