Former Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost says Michael Schumacher’s F1 comeback with Mercedes in 2010 was “completely pointless.”

And the Red Bull consultant has revealed that he tried to talk the seven-time World Champion out of his plans to return, warning him that his time was “over.”

When Franz Tost tried to talk Michael Schumacher out of ‘pointless’ F1 comeback

After retiring as the most decorated driver in F1 history at the end of 2006, Schumacher announced his return with the new-look Mercedes team three years later.

His signing with the Brackley-based outfit saw Schumacher link up with the team – then known as Brawn GP – who had stormed to a Drivers’ and Constructors’ title double in 2009, with the German openly targeting an eighth World Championship for himself with Mercedes in 2010.

However, the team’s necessity to downsize following Honda’s withdrawal at the end of 2008 meant Mercedes were uncompetitive from the start of 2010.

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Schumacher struggled for pace alongside team-mate Nico Rosberg – who would go on to win the title himself in 2016 – before retiring for a second time at the end of 2012.

Third place at the 2012 European Grand Prix in Valencia stood as the best result of his comeback, with Schumacher’s lap for pole position at that year’s Monaco Grand Prix not counting in official records as he was forced to serve a grid penalty carried over from the previous race in Spain.

Speaking to German publication F1 Insider, Tost revealed that he tried to talk Schumacher out of his comeback shortly before his return with Mercedes was announced.

And he claimed that the F1 legend failed to appreciate how much F1 had changed – including limitations on testing and control tyres used by all teams – in the three years since his original retirement.

He said: “Michael’s comeback was totally pointless.

“I discussed it with Michael at a dinner shortly before his return. I said to him: ‘Your time is over.’

“The following dialogue ensued: I asked him: ‘What do you expect?’

“He said: ‘I want to win races and become World Champion again.’

“Me: ‘You can forget that. Formula 1 is a completely different sport today. When you left Ferrari, you could still test willy-nilly. You had your own tyre manufacturer, Bridgestone, who did everything for you.

“‘If you had understeer, for example, you tested a tyre until the problem was solved.

“‘Today you have one-size-fits-all tyres and only seven test days, half of which are for you and the rest for Rosberg. Forget it.

“‘But the crucial thing: Your direct rivals are 20 years younger than you.

“‘Especially in Formula 1, the film runs out too quickly after a certain age. Then it’s over.’

“He accepted it without grumbling.”

With Schumacher stalling on whether he wanted to continue in F1 beyond the end of his original three-year contract in 2012, Mercedes made a move for Lewis Hamilton, then of McLaren.

The signing of Hamilton meant Schumacher was forced to announce his retirement ahead of that year’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Mercedes went on to claim a record eight consecutive Constructors’ titles and seven Drivers’ Championships shared between Hamilton (six) and Rosberg (one) from the start of F1’s V6-hybrid era in 2014.

Schumacher has not been seen in public since suffering severe brain injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013.

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