'Political reasons' kept Mick Schumacher away from probable AlphaTauri seat, says team boss Franz Tost

Mick Schumacher was apparently one of the contenders for the seat at AlphaTauri after Pierre Gasly stepped out, leaving the team with a vacancy, but for some 'political reasons' he did not get a chance to be a permanent driver in the upcoming season of F1, revealed their team principal, Franz Tost.

The Austrian team boss was impressed by Mick Schumacher's driving and was ready to give him a chance to be in the team, however, the fact that he had been under Ferrari for so long turned out to be a barrier for them.

RTL News quoted Tost (translated by Google):

"I would actually have liked to have had Mick in the car."

He is convinced that Mick is talented and that he also has what it takes to drive successfully in Formula 1. He added:

"But then there were other circumstances."

Talking about the supposed 'political issue' that Mick Schumacher had worked under Ferrari and then shifting to the Red Bull universe all of a sudden would have required the Scuderia's approval, Tost said:

"Then there was never an obligation. But personally I think a lot of him."

---

Mick Schumacher will have to extract the most out of Mercedes

After Haas decided not to renew Mick Schumacher's contract for the upcoming season, he was left without a seat. However, he was soon appointed as Mercedes' reserve driver, partially following in his father's (Michael Schumacher) footsteps.

This might be a good opportunity for the German, however, it is hard to say if he will get a chance to race in the W14. Since he will be a reserve driver, he is sure to get a chance to drive the car around during a few practice sessions, but he will have to extract the most out of it to get another chance as a permanent driver in Formula 1.

Even Tost believes that it will be good for the young driver to get a chance to drive with the team. He is hopeful that Mick Schumacher will increase his technical understanding of the cars and have more confidence to perform better, which is significant in the sport.

Meanwhile, AlphaTauri chose Nyck de Vries as their driver for the upcoming season along with Yuki Tsunoda. The former Formula E champion drove an impressive race at the Italian Grand Prix in 2022 behind the Williams wheel in place of Alex Albon, and finished the race in points. Now all eyes are on De Vries as he would make his debut as a permanent driver in the sport.