Now it is official.
What has been a persistent rumor for weeks is now certain: Mick Schumacher (24) is returning to the cockpit! After the German lost his seat at the US team Haas at the end of last year and has since been employed by Mercedes as a test and reserve driver, he will now be behind the wheel himself again.
However, not in that formula 1, but in the long-distance series “WEC”. Mick will be part of the Alpine program and will, among other things, compete in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans for the French team.
Mick: “For me a new chapter begins with Alpine in the FIA WEC Hypercar category. The car is impressive and I can’t wait to get started. I grew up with single-seaters. Driving a car with an enclosed cockpit and wheels covered is a great opportunity to improve my driving skills.”
Mick: “I missed racing sorely”
And further: “I missed the races sorely this year; It’s what I’ve loved doing since I was a kid and it was sometimes difficult watching the other drivers on the track. Long-distance racing is a new challenge for me.”
But it probably won’t stay that way. Mick is also expected to retain his role as test and reserve pilot at Mercedes. Both the Silver Arrows and Schumacher himself are satisfied with the setup. Mick maintains a good, trusting relationship with team boss Toto Wolff (51). However, a collaboration beyond the current season is not yet official. But this is more of a formality.
Save yourself who can! 800-pound colossus crashes volleyball game
“One thing is clear: we won’t lose him! If his commitment to another manufacturer allows him to be our reserve driver, then we will of course keep him,” explained Wolff back in September.
Mick also has a great interest in this. Because: The son of record champion Michael Schumacher (54/seven world titles) has not yet given up his dream of Formula 1 and can therefore keep his foot in the door. It is all the more important that, in addition to making contacts, he also gains driving experience again and gets used to racing and the battles for position with other drivers.
Even if he didn’t return to the premier class of motorsport as a regular driver for the 2024 season, he wants to make a new attempt in 2025. Then the chances of getting a cockpit are much higher because several drivers’ contracts with teams expire at the same time.
Maybe it will then become official that Mick will return permanently to Formula 1.