Mick Schumacher misses racing very much, but is very grateful for his role at Mercedes where he can see how the German racing team operates and why they are so successful. In any case, it remains the worst thing for him to sit in the garage and watch the current grid drive out and do what Schumacher would prefer to do himself.
After Schumacher was replaced by Nico Hülkenberg at Haas for the 2023 season, it was clear that there would be no seat for him. There also seems to be no room for the young German in the future. Shortly after the announcement of his departure came the next announcement, namely that he would take up a role as a test and reserve driver at Mercedes. The German racing team are very happy with him, especially with his work in the simulator. “Being a reserve driver gives you a lot of insights, especially at Mercedes,” Schumacher said in conversation with Top Gear.
“I miss racing, to be honest,” continues the German, who has emphasized this often. “But the most important thing I have learned since moving from Haas to Mercedes is how the team operates, what tools they have, how they use them, and communication. These are great learning points. It has opened my eyes in many ways and made it clear why Mercedes is so successful,” Schumacher explains. “The worst thing is sitting in the garage and watching everyone drive out and do what you love most.”
Future in F1 seems to be getting smaller and smaller in Schumacher’s mirrors
Although it does indeed appear that there will be no place on the F1 grid in 2024, Schumacher was briefly linked with a seat at AlphaTauri and Williams. Midway through the season, Nyck de Vries was fired, and then Schumacher was considered, but eventually Daniel Ricciardo was put in that seat. According to rumors in the paddock, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff sat down with Williams team boss James Vowles, but Vowles was not impressed with Schumacher’s data. However, Alpine is also interested in him, but in a different category: the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
There he would end up in the LMDh car. A test has already been done. While this is positive, Formula 1 was always Michael Schumacher’s son’s goal. Won’t these ‘setbacks’ eventually take their toll? “Having the right people around you helps,” says Schumacher. “You have to try to be in the right space mentally and try to make the best of the situation so that when necessary you can be in a position to jump in and be ready to go,” concludes Schumacher .
