Former F1 team boss can't understand it: 'I'd choose Schumacher'

Former F1 team boss Franz Tost believes Sauber (soon to be Audi) have missed an opportunity to sign German driver Mick Schumacher for the 2025 Formula 1 season. On Wednesday, Sauber confirmed they will put Gabriel Bortoleto alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025. Tost himself would never choose Bortoleto because he is "a risk factor".

Tost has seen Bortoleto perform well in the step-up classes to Formula 1 but suggests that F1 is a different level. He cited the examples of Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman during the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend where they struggled in wet conditions.

"Oliver Bearman often went off the track and seemed overwhelmed. And Franco Colapinto had two serious accidents. This cost Williams millions. From a political point of view, it would also be an extremely unfortunate decision," Tost told F1 Insider. It is worth noting that experienced drivers, including Carlos Sainz, also struggled in the wet conditions and crashed.

Why Schumacher is the better candidate according to Tost

Tost, who was a longstanding team boss at Red Bull's sister team, explains why they should've gone for Schumacher. "Mick is still young and has won both crucial junior classes, something Bortoleto has not yet achieved. In addition, he is very fast, has constantly improved during his two years with the Haas team and now, in his role as a test driver, has a lot of mileage experience with the current Formula 1 cars," Tost said. Bortoleto won the F3 title in his debut season, and currently leads the F2 championship as a rookie.

Tost also disagrees with Sauber's decision to sign Nico Hulkenberg. "In my opinion, he doesn't belong in Formula 1 anymore. They would be better off giving a young German like Mick Schumacher a chance," explained Tost.

This article has been created in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen