Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes Mick Schumacher, the son of the iconic Michael Schumacher, will have to "forget his name" as the German looks to find a path back into the sport after a year in the wilderness.
Schumacher impressed in the F1 feeder series' as a youngster, winning both F3 and F2 titles before earning a seat with Haas for the 2021 season.
But two difficult years with Haas were brought to an end in 2022 and Schumacher has been without a seat in F1 since.
Toto Wolff stepped in at the end of last year to keep the German in F1 as Mercedes' reserve and test driver.
Mick Schumacher will have to wait until 2025 for an F1 seat
PA
However, the 24-year-old will be without a seat in F1 for another year heading into 2024 and he now faces a tough battle to get back on the grid in 2025.
Ecclestone was the F1 chief executive when Schumacher's famous dad reigned supreme in the sport.
The 93-year-old wants to see the iconic name remain in F1, but has put the onus on Schumacher to make his case for a seat heading into 2025.
"He has to fight now, he has to stick with it and show that he is still in a position to deliver good performances," Ecclestone told RTL.
"In the best case scenario, people will see him and say 'We need him' and not the other way around - him looking for someone who will take him in because of his name.
"He should forget his name now and develop as a person."
Schumacher will remain as a reserve driver for Mercedes next year, but he's also competing in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine.
Ecclestone added: "That’s probably the only and best thing he can do at the moment.
“It’s good that he can show himself, ideally with good performances.
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Mick Schumacher hasn't driven in F1 since 2022 with Haas
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"Then it could happen that those responsible in Formula 1 rethink and say: ‘Maybe we made a mistake. “We’ll try again.
“The difficult question is: How and when?”
Schumacher first made his way into F1 as a part of Ferrari's junior driver programme before he left in December 2022.
Bernie Ecclestone wants Mick Schumacher to be back in F1
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And Ecclestone believes a different team would have been a better choice for Schumacher to work with despite his father's famous connection.
He added: “At Red Bull, for example, he would have been better understood, they would have helped him and led him up.”
