Ecclestone: Mick Schumacher's problem is "Schumacher"

For context and in a nutshell, Mick - the son of F1 legend and seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher - after doing a solid title-winning job in F3 and F2, failed to emulate his father when he drove in F1 with Haas, in 2021 and 2022.

Ferrari always promised to roll out the red carpet for Michael's son, and they kept to their promise as they funded his way through the junior series as well as his entry to F1 with the Guenther Steiner-led Haas team.

At the time and moreso after, it was clear this was a bad decision, doomed from the start for very obvious reasons, which Michael would never have condoned.

But he is not around calling the shots, and Ferrari's red carpet led Mick the wrong way. His F1 career over before it had already started. Made redundant by Ferrari - much in the same way they callously treated his father at the end of 2006, booting him out to make way for Kimi Raikkonen.

So unimpressed, and perhaps smarting from an ill-thought-out, career-destroying decision Ferrari did not even consider the 24-year-old German good enough for their nascent WEC programme. Where they sent F1-reject Antonio Giovinazzi to good effect. He won this year's Le Mans 24 Hours for the Reds.

At Mercedes, Mick has been the 'mascot' of sorts and F1 reserve for never-sick and bulletproof duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Last month Alpine confirmed Mick in their FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) line-up for next year.

Interviewed by German television sport.de, Ecclestone was asked if Mick's biggest burden was the 'Schumacher' name, Bernie replied: “I think so. He has to fight, he has to stick with it and show that he is still in a position to deliver good performances. He doesn't have to find the people who offer him the opportunity to race, they will find him.

"In the best-case scenario, someone will see him and say: We need him. And not the other way around, namely someone who will take him in because of his name. He should forget his name and develop further as a person," advised 93-year-old Ecclestone.

Many believe (this author and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff included) that Michael Schumacher would never have condoned the treatment and verbal abuse meted out by Steiner at Mick during his time with the team. Amplified in Netflix's season wrap in which, inexplicably for anyone with a brain, Guenther is the star, in a Muppet kind of way it has to be assumed. Mick was roasted for eternity.

Dreadful cars and two rookies - young Schumie and Nikita Mazepin - in the first season (2021) with underfunded Haas proved to be a disaster. But Ferrari paid, and Steiner took the money but could not shut up.

Last year, comeback veteran Kevin Magnussen destroyed Mick who destroyed cars and got destroyed by Steiner, and of course, Ferrari pulled the plug. Mick's career in F1 was done.

Of Mick's placement with Haas, Ecclestone said: “At Red Bull, for example, he would have been better understood, they would have helped him and brought him up. He was placed in the wrong hands."

As for the FIA WEC venture with Alpine, Ecclestone said: "It's the only and best thing he can do at the moment. Where he can show his abilities, ideally with good performances. Then the decision-makers in Formula 1 might rethink and say: Maybe we made a mistake. We'll try again."

Wishful thinking some would argue. The Alpine programme is a welcome way to race and, more importantly, for the young driver is to get racing mileage (rather than watch Toto watch TV in the Merc pit garage on GP weekends) in what will be a learning year for Mick.

The FIA WEC is burgeoning with manufacturer involvement and continued growing interest, with formidable teams and very capable drivers - such as the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota, Lamborghini and Peugeot - in the mix.

It will be an interesting route for Schumacher junior if indeed it does end up with another crack at F1, should he shine brightly in Hypercars regardless of his surname.

Although Ecclestone probably won't admit it, what he said seems more a case of Bernie hoping rather than Bernie putting a million-bucks on it happening.