UNITED KINGDOM: Mercedes Team Boss Toto Wolff has hit back at recent claims made by Helmut Marko, advisor to Red Bull, suggesting that Wolff’s involvement in “politics” played a role in Red Bull overlooking Mick Schumacher for a seat for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
Schumacher, the son of legendary seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, lost his race seat with Haas at the end of last year and currently serves as Mercedes’ reserve driver.
Despite his talent and the admiration of Franz Tost, team principal of Red Bull’s B team AlphaTauri, Schumacher needed help to secure a spot elsewhere.
Marko shed light on the situation, revealing that Wolff sought a meeting with Red Bull’s CEO, Oliver Mintzlaff, to discuss Schumacher’s prospects.
However, Marko claimed that Wolff’s involvement in politics at the governing body, the FIA, led to Red Bull taking the topic off the table.
He questioned why Mercedes did not offer Schumacher a seat in their team or use their influence to secure a spot at a customer team like Williams.
Wolff, who has previously expressed frustration with how Haas treated Schumacher in the 2022 season, responded by stating that Marko’s version of events differs from his own.
He clarified that he never discussed placing Schumacher at Red Bull with their leadership. While he praises Schumacher whenever possible, he believes it is ultimately up to each team to decide on their drivers.
Schumacher’s value to Mercedes was evident at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, when he was crucial to the team’s turnaround.
Working overnight in the team’s simulator, he contributed to their strongest performance of the season, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell reaching the podium.
Wolff emphasized that he would quickly allow Schumacher to race for Mercedes if Hamilton or Russell were unavailable.
However, his priority is to help Schumacher secure a full-time race seat. He believes that the current situation hinders Schumacher’s potential and that he deserves the opportunity to showcase his talent.
In the meantime, Schumacher will have the opportunity to drive his father’s 2011-spec Mercedes W02 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, adding to the list of cars he has sampled from his father’s illustrious career.
Also Read: Mercedes’ Toto Wolff Assures Budget Monitoring as Aggressive Upgrades Await at British GP
