Michael Schumacher’s F1 Legacy Hailed as Toto Wolff Expresses Concern for Prodigy Mick Schumacher: “…Would Not Have Dared”

A legacy like that of Michael Schumacher will be in the golden pages of the history of Formula 1. The level of greatness is such that it’s his son who is reaping the rewards in his absence. In the 2022 season, when Mick Schumacher had to bear the personal cost of losing his seat due to his mistakes, he was given a second chance thanks to the intervention of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who recognized the goodwill and achievements of Mick’s father, Michael.

However, the need to give the reserve driver seat to Mick only arose when Haas ousted him merely after two years, of which he had a driveable car for only one. The treatment that followed his crashes was brutal, and many fans called it a blessing in disguise for the German. Notably, Guenther Steiner, Haas’ boss, questioned the upbringing of Mick and tainted the legacy of Schumacher.

According to F1 Briefings, Steiner said, “Dealing with a Schumacher is not easy, as you can imagine. He was grown up about it. He wasn’t happy. I would say he saw the writing on the wall…. We didn’t get where we wanted to and I had to make some changes. You cannot beat up a dead horse.”

This left many enraged, especially Michael’s brother and former F1 racer, Ralf Schumacher, who defended his family. Later, Toto Wolff, also a friend of the Schumachers, backed the young German prodigy, as quoted by F1 Briefings, “I can only say that his parents did nothing wrong in bringing him up. And I claim that if Michael had accompanied his son during the two Haas years, Steiner would not have dared to treat Mick like that!”

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Mick is now ready to serve as Mercedes’ reserve driver. Toto also affirmed that the driver would take up the seat in the absence of Lewis Hamilton or George Russell.

Uncle comes to the defense of Mick Schumacher

Ralf Schumacher is a presenter with Sky Sports who doesn’t shy away from expressing his opinion loud and clear. So, he was vocal about Steiner’s aforementioned comments when the stakes were too high for the family.

As quoted by Planet F1, he also shared a similar view of the situation and lashed out at Haas’ boss. He said, “I believe and this bothers me the most: If my brother had been there, Guenther Steiner would have behaved differently. I just think Michael’s presence would have been enough. But again, everyone does what they want.”

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Steiner’s treatment of Mick hasn’t been justified or backed by anyone. This happened even when several people, including Sebastian Vettel and Toto Wolff, looked after the kid. Certainly, had his dad been on his side, Mick Schumacher would have had a little stressful time in the paddock.