Ecclestone lands stinging Haas criticism over Schumacher treatment

Schumacher, the son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael,  endured two difficult seasons at the American outfit before he was dropped at the end of 2022 as Haas opted for the experienced Nico Hulkenberg.

Several heavy crashes ultimately costed the German his F1 drive, according to ex-Haas team principal Guenther Steiner.

Ecclestone has slated Haas and claimed the team simply used Schumacher’s famous name and “were never interested” in his performances.

“Mick got lost on the wrong team with the wrong people. At Haas they took his name. They were never interested in how good or bad he was,” Ecclestone told BILD.

Schumacher acted as Mercedes’ reserve driver throughout the 2023 season and has been unable to secure a full-time seat to return to the grid.

The 24-year-old will instead race in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine this year, as well as continuing as Mercedes’ F1 reserve driver.