Ralf Schumacher has publicly declared that he will no longer participate in broadcasts alongside former Haas boss Gunther Steiner.
The fallout between Steiner and Schumacher, a former F1 race winner, became particularly evident in 2022 when Steiner openly and continually criticized Schumacher's nephew, Mick, leading to his dismissal from the Haas racing team.
Both analysts were contracted by the German broadcaster RTL for 2024 and shared the screen during the Bahrain GP this season. However, Ralf has now confirmed his decision to avoid any future joint appearances with Steiner.
"RTL knows my opinion, and so does Mr Steiner," Ralf conveyed to Sport1.
"There will be no more joint appearances in front of the camera.
In Bahrain, I subordinated myself to the common cause, but now that is no longer possible. I am consistent in this regard."
Schumacher, aged 48, cited Steiner's recent remarks about Mick as the last straw. Steiner had publicly advised Alpine to disregard Mick for a racing position next year.
"I can only imagine that he is a little afraid that if Mick returns to Formula 1 and suddenly drives under a team boss who believes in him and puts in a great performance, he (Steiner) will be seen in a bad light," Ralf suggested.
"I'm slowly getting the feeling that that's what he's doing."
Ralf Schumacher also implied that Steiner should feel some embarrassment due to the improved performance of Haas under Steiner's successor, Ayao Komatsu.
"Very well, in fact, as we've seen this year," he noted when told that Komatsu is doing well so far. "So perhaps Mr Steiner should think about what has changed to make the team better now."