Wolff on Steiner's handling of Schumacher: “He comes from the mountains!”

Schumacher will be ditched for next season by Haas, and replaced by Nico Hulkenberg, after a year where he was repeatedly criticised by team principal Steiner.

His exit comes with the F1 2023 driver line-up complete, so Schumacher will not be on the grid next year.

Mercedes boss Wolff criticised Steiner’s handling of the driver: “That's his management style. He comes from the mountain, the air is thinner there. You can't always think so well.

“It's authentic - and I've already seen that this style can work. Different paths lead to success.”

Mercedes have a vacancy for a reserve driver role which Schumacher could fill. His iconic father Michael Schumacher ended his career with the team.

“He deserves a place on the grid and not as a test driver," said Wolff.

"Maybe there is an intermediate step in which we play a role.

"The Schumacher family is closely linked to Mercedes. David drives for Mercedes, Ralf drove for Mercedes and also Michael. And Mick is German.

"He fits well. I think he deserves a place in F1. We have to see if we can do something.

"We have seen it before with drivers who took a gap year. There are also testing opportunities and you work together with engineers. It is a completely different kind of effort than what he is used to. You then form a different view of things and you build up a lot of experience."

Ralf Schumacher, Mick’s uncle, said: "That would be a great solution for Mick. He could learn so much in a team like that.

"Drivers like Alex Albon have shown that after a year off, you can come back to Formula 1 with a fresh perspective and more experience."

Mick Schumacher said at the weekend: “Mercedes is an awesome brand, genuinely, what they have achieved in Formula 1 is incredible. So you know I’m going to see my options, and Mercedes is part of that.”