Mick Schumacher is not yet admitting that his Formula 1 comeback plans for 2025 have failed.
It is widely believed that Audi-owned Sauber, now with the last remaining vacancy on next year’s grid, has decided to keep Valtteri Bottas on board at least for one more year.
"You can understand Audi’s position," former F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone told sport.de.
"When they enter, they need their number 1 driver and a number 2. They will need a lot of help to protect their brand. They can’t just sit around and do nothing."
When asked about Audi’s rumoured decision re-sign Bottas as Nico Hulkenberg’s teammate next year, 93-year-old Ecclestone answered: "Time will tell."
But he also admits it’s a big blow for Schumacher, who he describes as a "warm-hearted person" who is "talented enough" for F1.
"He has not been given the right opportunity so far," Ecclestone said, insisting that the 25-year-old’s first shot at F1 was spoiled by the management style of former Haas boss Gunther Steiner.
"He (Mick) doesn’t need people telling him off all the time," said the Briton. "He needs someone to help him and not criticise him too much.
"If Michael (Schumacher) were here, he would have told Gunther where to go. That would help a lot."
As for Mick, he admits that his current F1 role - as Mercedes’ reserve driver - is beginning to wear thin.
"If you haven’t been in Formula 1, it’s certainly very nice," the German told Bild newspaper. "But if you’ve been in F1, you would of course prefer to be in the corners rather than sitting next to them."
The newspaper asked Schumacher if it’s really true that Bottas has beaten him to the Audi-Sauber seat.
"Time will tell," he answered. "Time is of the essence at the moment.
"But there is nothing to say at the moment."
When asked if an all-German lineup next to Hulkenberg would be good for Audi and Germany, however, Schumacher admitted: "Absolutely. Absolutely."
Another recent contender for the final 2025 seat was Gabriel Bortoleto, who according to reports even got McLaren’s blessing to be loaned to Audi.
But Fernando Alonso, whose management company A14 handles the 19-year-old’s career, hinted that the uncompetitive Sauber seat might not have been the best option for Bortoleto.
"He will still have time to come to Formula 1, but we must not try to shorten this path, as this could negatively affect the development of his talent," the Spaniard said.
"He also has to be in the right team and in the right atmosphere. Now the decision is up to Sauber, but Gabriel is definitely a very promising driver - all the teams understand that."