Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone believes Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher needs to "forget his dream" of being an F1 driver.
Despite scoring a respectable 12 points in the 2022 season, the son of the legendary world champion Michael Schumacher was dropped from Haas F1 team for fellow countryman Nico Hulkenberg.
In an interview with RTL, Eccelstone told Schumacher to "wake up and pursue alternatives".
"He has to forget about this dream because sooner or later we all wake up from a dream," said the former F1 boss.
"He has to forget about that and start thinking about what the alternative is, and try to pursue that."
The 92-year-old only gives Schumacher a chance if he is able to find someone who will "truly want to help him succeed".
According to Ecclestone, that person is Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing.
"The only team that could do for him what he really needs is Christian," said Ecclestone.
'What he really needs is...'
“He needs someone who will really want to make him succeed and look after him in general. That’s what he needs and that’s what he wasn’t getting where he was driving.”
“The only team that could do for him what he really needs is Christian [Horner].”
Despite Ecclestone's comments, many F1 fans and experts believe that Schumacher has the talent and potential to become a successful driver in the sport. Time will tell whether, under Toto Wolff's guidance, Schumacher can prove Ecclestone wrong and find his way back into an F1 cockpit.