F1 – Germany requires Schumacher-like figures for inspiration

According to AlphaTauri team boss Franz Tost, the level of interest in F1 in Germany depends on how successful Mick Schumacher performs in the sport. After being dropped by Haas at the end of 2022, the team chose a more seasoned German driver, Nico Hulkenberg, over Schumacher.

Although Hulkenberg won’t be competing in the 2023 F1 season, he’ll serve as the reserve driver for Mercedes, filling in if Lewis Hamilton or George Russell are unable to race. Following Sebastian Vettel’s retirement at the end of 2022, Hulkenberg is the only German driver on the F1 circuit.

According to Tost, who has expressed interest in signing Schumacher for Alpha Tauri, Schumacher had the potential to “become the new hero” for Germany. Tost stated to Auto Bild that “Mick’s career determines the interest in Germany” and that Hulkenberg cannot do it alone.

Tost argues that it was Schumacher himself, not just the Mercedes team, that triggered the boom in interest in F1 in Germany. Similarly, Tost cites the success of tennis players Boris Becker and Steffi Graf as the reason for a surge in interest in tennis, even among non-affluent citizens.

He said, “They [the German public] wanted to see Michael Schumacher win and not just the Mercedes engine or car. Only heroes can create a boom, as Michael Schumacher showed. Before Becker, tennis was more popular among affluent citizens, but his and Graf’s success abruptly changed that and all kids wanted to play tennis.”

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Tost regrets that Schumacher is currently not in F1, as he had the potential to become a new hero for the country. He also believes that Germany has been fortunate in both football and F1, given the success of its teams and athletes, including Michael Schumacher.

Tost stated, “He could have become the new hero, but unfortunately he’s out of F1 for now. What a shame.” He added, “Germany has been spoiled with success in both football and F1, especially with Michael Schumacher.”

Tost said that Germany has become too used to success, including in football, and this may be contributing to a lack of interest. He said that if the national team had performed better in the recent World Cup, more people in Germany would have been interested.

He added, “Germany is spoiled. You can see it even in football. I’m convinced that the lack of interest in the last World Cup is also partly due to the poor performance of the national team. If they had made it to the final, half of Germany would have followed the games in Qatar. One thing is clear: people need heroes, and they need them to be made of flesh and blood, not metal.”

F1 Schumacher-like inspiration F1 Schumacher-like inspiration

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