F1 News: Mick Schumacher advised to say ‘no’ to Audi-Sauber

(GMM) A German racing legend thinks Mick Schumacher should turn down the opportunity to return to the Formula 1 grid next year with Audi-owned Sauber.

Audi’s Sauber takeover and works F1 project for 2026 has been troubled so far, with top drivers like Carlos Sainz turning down the opportunity to join in 2025 and now parent company Volkswagen in a deep financial crisis.

However, the marque continues to add big names to its roster, alongside figures like new overall Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto and Red Bull’s Jonathan Wheatley.

The latest additions are new engineering boss Giampaolo Dall’Ara, and former Ferrari strategy boss Inaki Rueda – demoting the long-serving Beat Zehnder to a lesser role.

On the driver front, Nico Hulkenberg is already signed up for 2025 and beyond, and it is believed Valtteri Bottas and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto are now vying to be the German’s teammate.

However, amid the long delay in Binotto actually signing up Hulkenberg’s teammate, another potential candidate is still waiting in the wings – Mick Schumacher.

The 25-year-old has been on the sidelines since 2022 as Mercedes’ reserve driver, pairing that role in 2023 with a prototype WEC race seat with Alpine.

F1 legend Hans-Joachim Stuck advises Schumacher to turn down Audi-Sauber if a solid offer does come in.

“For me, Mick would be in the wrong place at Audi,” the 73-year-old told Eurosport.

He thinks a struggling team like Sauber in 2025 sets Schumacher up for a repeat of his Haas nightmare under Gunther Steiner.

“He has already been through this story once,” Stuck, a two-time Le Mans winner, said of Schumacher.

Referring to Steiner’s former reign at Haas, Stuck accuses him of “destroying a young man who was still gaining his first experiences through stupidity and a lack of empathy”.

“That’s unacceptable. Steiner has harmed Schumacher for his entire life,” Stuck insisted.

But that is also why Stuck thinks Audi is “the wrong path” for the son of seven time world champion Michael Schumacher.

“He simply will not find the same standards there that he would find at the other teams,” he said. “They need to redevelop everything from scratch.

“In the first year he wouldn’t have a chance there,” Stuck, who contested over 70 grands prix in the 70s, added.