F1 fans tell Toto Wolff he’s not kept his ‘promise’ after Mick Schumacher’s Mercedes exit is confirmed

Mick Schumacher is set to leave his position as test and reserve driver at Mercedes at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

The German has been part of the Mercedes team since he was ousted by Haas at the end of 2022 and has completed several tests with them, including important Pirelli tyre tests and provided a benchmark for Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Schumacher sent a cryptic message on his social media recently which seemed to indicate he might no longer be involved in F1 for the future, but that has now been seemingly confirmed by Mercedes with the 25-year-old saying that he wants to focus “100%” on racing.

Fans are seemingly unhappy that Wolff went back on a promise that Schumacher would be welcome as part of the Mercedes family, having said so in an interview with Bild: “Mick has a place here as a reserve driver – he is part of the family. We hope he stays in the role with us and we’ll give him time in the car.”

Reacting to the news on social media, some fans have brought back Wolff’s comments and questioned why the team did not find him a place on the grid in what became a busy F1 driver market in 2024.

Fans react to Mick Schumacher stepping down from Mercedes reserve role

Former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner recently wrote in his new book that he felt the media was partially responsible for ‘damaging’ Schumacher’s career.

Schumacher and Wolff have desperately tried to rescue his career in F1 this year, but it now looks like his next chapter will take place away from the F1 paddock in the world of sportscars.

Reacting to the news on the social media website Instagram, one user wrote: “Toto instead of praising him you should have given him a seat.”

“He didn’t choose to leave, you gave him no choice by considering everybody but him,” wrote another user, who took aim at Wolff for appearing to neglect the German talent.

Referring to the comments in the interview with Bild, another user claimed that Wolff went back on his ‘promise’ to Schumacher: “Toto didn’t fulfil his promise this time.”

Mercedes claims that Schumacher himself decided to leave his role, although one user on X was less than impressed: “If that was the case, how come he didn’t get the seat? Toto and the lies.”

Another fan believed that the news alludes to another rumour floating around the paddock: “Weird way to say “we’re replacing Mick with Bottas” but we move.”

Valtteri Bottas in line to replace Mick Schumacher in Mercedes reserve role

It is expected that Valtteri Bottas will make his Mercedes return having been ousted at Sauber this season in favour of young F2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto.

Bottas last raced for Mercedes during the 2021 season, having made the switch to Sauber in anticipation of getting a seat at Audi. That did not materialise, with management at the German carmaker siding with Nico Hulkenberg.

It has not been the best season for Bottas, with him seemingly scoring zero points and looking unlikely to finish in the top ten in any of the next two races.

Bottas was once described as a ‘perfect’ driver by Williams team boss James Vowles, via PlanetF1, although Eddie Jordan has told Bottas to move on from F1.

The move from the Finn would enable him to pass on advice to Kimi Antonelli, who will make his debut alongside George Russell at Mercedes next season replacing Lewis Hamilton.