A familiar voice of support
Jochen Neerpasch, the former motorsport manager who helped forge Michael Schumacher’s path to stardom, has expressed his belief in Mick’s abilities. Speaking to Gremany’s *Sport1*, the 85-year-old insisted that a return to F1 is not out of the question for Mick.
“Mick should concentrate on the World Sportscar Championship first.It is booming at the moment and has a great future. If he continues to do well there, it is not out of the question for him to come back.I am convinced he has the potential,” said Neerpasch.
He went on to defend Mick’s abilities, which have been criticised in some quarters: “He is definitely much better than some people have made him out to be. He is still young enough.
Neerpasch’s confidence is significant given his history in motorsport.As founder of the iconic Mercedes junior team in the early 1990s, he was instrumental in bringing the likes of Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger into F1.His insights into racing talent carry considerable weight.
The Schumacher legacy
Neerpasch also underlined the enduring resonance of the Schumacher name in motorsport.”The Schumacher name is still one of the biggest in motorsport worldwide. And it will continue to be so in the future,” he noted.
Mick’s struggles to establish himself in F1 have been compounded by the weight of his family’s legacy.As the son of a seven-time world champion, Mick has faced intense scrutiny, with every performance dissected and compared to his father’s legendary career.
While his two seasons in F1 with Haas were marked by moments of brilliance, inconsistency and high-profile incidents ultimately cost him his seat.Since then, he has taken on a reserve driver role with Mercedes, keeping his links with the F1 paddock alive while seeking competitive racing opportunities elsewhere.
