Bernie Ecclestone has lamented the impact Michael Schumacher's skiing accident has had on his son's Formula One career.
Schumacher hit his head on a rock when skiing in the French Alps in December 2013 and suffered a serious injury.
The German has not been seen in public since, with last week marking 10 years since the incident.
Little is known about the condition of the 54-year-old, with his family keeping a lot under wraps.
Michael Schumacher has not been seen since his accident in December 2013
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His son, Mick, followed in the footsteps of the eight-time world champion, joining Haas on a multi-year contract ahead of the 2021 season.
However, he won just 12 points across his first two seasons on the grid and was released at the end of the 2022 campaign.
He joined both Mercedes and McLaren as a reserve driver for 2023 and will continue in that role this year.
But it was also announced in November that he will join Alpine's World Endurance Hypercar team for 2024.
Former F1 supremo Ecclestone says things would have been different if his dad was able to lend a helping hand.
The 93-year-old told the German Press Agency: "If his father had been there with him, he could have had a completely different influence on him."
Schumacher junior joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in early 2019, a collaboration which ended four years later.
Ecclestone believes the 24-year-old would have been better off starting his career at Red Bull instead.
He added "He would have been in good hands in a team like Red Bull with its junior program, where you help young drivers achieve victories.
"That spoiled a lot of things for him."
Ecclestone can also see similarities with Schumacher senior and three-time back-to-back champion Max Verstappen.
"Max Verstappen has a bit of him in him," Ecclestone added.
"Max isn't as merciless as Michael was, because Michael didn't even think about making compromises."
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Bernie Ecclestone says Michael Schumacher's presence would have helped his son
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Schumacher junior earned praise from Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2023 season.
But he admits that only goes so far and it is down to him to win a full-time F1 contract for 2025.
Schumacher said: "It's great that people recognise that. But unfortunately, I'm still here as a reserve driver, not as the main driver.
"So obviously something has gone wrong and sometimes it's a bit hard to understand.
"I know I have to convince other people that I'm suitable for this position.
"Unfortunately, many of the contracts are multi-year, so there isn't really a seat available next year.
Mick Schumacher lost his full-time F1 contract at the end of 2022
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"So it's a difficult situation, but there should be vacant cockpits for 2025, we'll have to wait and see.
"Nevertheless, I will remain very closely connected to Formula 1 and hopefully I can prove to the people in Formula 1 that I still deserve a chance in the premier class of motorsport and that I belong here."
