AlphaTauri boss wanted Schumacher but “political reasons” stopped move

Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael, has joined Mercedes in a reserve role after losing his full-time seat at Haas to Nico Hulkenberg. 

It has now emerged that AlphaTauri were keen on the 23-year-old German before ultimately signing Nyck de Vries as Alpine-bound Pierre Gasly’s replacement. 

“Schumacher was an issue [of conversation] for me, personally,” Tost told Germany’s RTL. 

"I would actually have liked to have Mick in the car. Mick is talented and also has what it takes to drive successfully in F1."

Tost cited “political reasons” for why a formal approach for Schumacher never materialised. 

AlphaTauri is owned by Red Bull and at the time, Schumacher was still associated with Ferrari, ties that would have made a deal complicated. 

However, Schumacher parted ways with Ferrari at the end of the year, paving the way for him to sign for Mercedes as a back-up for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell this season. 

With Schumacher targeting a full-time return to the F1 grid in 2024, the door to AlphaTauri may re-open if either de Vries or Yuki Tsunoda fall below expectations.