Toto Wolff bites back in Mick Schumacher row as Red Bull left angry for FIA talk

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied Helmut Marko’s accusation that a meeting took place between the two rival teams about Mick Schumacher potentially joining AlphaTauri. The young German star was axed by Haas for the upcoming season with Mercedes swooping in to give him a seat as the team’s reserve driver.

Wolff made it clear last year that he wanted to keep the Schumacher name in F1 and felt the 24-year-old was deserving of a seat back on the grid. There were little opportunities for the 2023 season, but there are already attempts for Schumacher to return next year.

Reports have suggested Schumacher will have a shot at joining Williams in 2024, due to Mercedes’ partnership with the team. But Marko sensationally claimed this month that Wolff was trying to push Red Bull to hand Schumacher a lifeline.

The Red Bull advisor took aim at the Mercedes team principal though, suggesting Wolff’s own agenda stood in the way of Schumacher after alleged talks with the FIA. “It was mentioned in a meeting,” Marko said.

“The only problem was that Mr. Wolff simultaneously openly played politics against us at the FIA. That settled the matter.”

Wolff has now responded to Marko’s claims, questioning his adversary’s motives surrounding Schumacher’s F1 future. “I’m not even sure that we can facilitate, because every time we speak highly on him somebody feels to say something negative,” Wolff said.

“As a little aside, I never spoke to Red Bull leadership about giving Mick a place there the way it was said by Helmut. Wherever I can speak highly and praise Mick, that’s what I’m doing. But at the end, it’s every team’s authority to decide on the drivers.”

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Schumacher had his first outing in the Mercedes W14 earlier this month as part of Pirelli’s 2024 tyre test. Wolff believes a year away from the F1 grid should do Schumacher some good, but he wants to see a team take a chance on the Mercedes reserve driver next season.

“I very much respect our contracts within the team, and whenever you have to take a reserve driver, you have to take a reserve driver,” he added. “I think kids are missing out. To be honest, I think he was burned last year.

“You need to provide an environment and framework that is different for every driver and different human beings. And I think whoever gets him will have a very good talent.”

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