Mick Schumacher is not ready to step up to a top team like Ferrari.
That is the claim of Franz Tost, a figure who was close to the inner circle of Mick’s father Michael and especially the F1 legend’s brother Ralf.
Now, team boss Austrian Tost - who may be looking for a new driver for Alpha Tauri for 2023 - has suggested 23-year-old Schumacher is not ready for Ferrari but it may be time for a move from Haas.
"He has to drive somewhere else for another three years," Tost told Sport1.
"Formula 1 is extremely complicated today," he said. "A driver needs at least three years of learning to drive at the top level.
"A George Russell or a Charles Leclerc also needed that time."
However, Schumacher’s first task is to catch and then beat his new and experienced Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen.
"First he has to consistently beat Kevin Magnussen at Haas and try to achieve success with them," Tost said. "That is his job now and nothing else."
Dane Magnussen, meanwhile, admits he has been impressed with Schumacher’s eagerness to benefit from his experience so far in 2022.
"It doesn’t happen that often between drivers because you might be too proud to ask questions or you might see it as a weakness," he said. "But he doesn’t care at all, he just wants to learn.
"If I can help him, it helps the team and that’s good for me again. I am much more relaxed there this time," Magnussen added.
He also insists that he isn’t totally dominating Schumacher at the small American team.
"It’s not as big of a difference as you might think," said the 29-year-old Dane.
"Mick is very good, even though he only has a year of experience. So it’s not like everyone just listens to me and nobody listens to Mick, because it’s very balanced."