Mick Schumacher is to be used as a substitute driver at Ferrari in the coming Formula 1 season.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto confirmed this in an RTL interview. “Mick will be a replacement driver for Ferrari, just like Antonio Giovinazzi,” Binotto told the TV broadcaster. “Antonio will be the reserve driver in some races, if he’s not there it will be Mick.”
According to this, the 22-year-old Schumacher, who will also start for Haas in 2022, is scheduled to replace Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at eleven race weekends. If one of the two fails, Mick Schumacher could drive for the Scuderia from Maranello in Formula 1 and thus follow in the footsteps of his father and record world champion Michael Schumacher.
“Mick is a Ferrari driver, he belongs to the Ferrari Driver Academy, he did well with Haas, all of the 2021 season,” said Binotto. The team boss added: “The final goal of the Ferrari Driver Academy is to find the next driver for Ferrari,” emphasized Binotto. “It is therefore important for us to always support and help him.” Schumacher was “very happy” with his new role, said Binotto: “We believe that he will be even better in the future.”
Leclerc has a contract with Ferrari until 2024, Sainz’s working paper expires at the end of 2022. Binotto announced in the RTL interview that he would talk to Sainz about his future in winter.
