Franz Tost said he wanted Mick Schumacher to drive for AlphaTauri this season – but he was overruled by Red Bull bosses who blocked the move.
Nyck de Vries joined the team this year to race alongside Yuki Tsunoda. But that outcome wasn't even Tost's backup plan for his driver line-up.
The Austrian wanted to keep Pierre Gasly at the team. When it became obvious that the Frenchman was set on a move to Alpine, his alternative strategy was to snap up Schumacher whose Haas future was uncertain.