Despite the move to the WEC, Mick Schumacher is still attached to Formula 1 and wants to make the leap back – if his career continues elsewhere, that’s ok too
Even though he will turn his attention to the WEC in 2024, Mick Schumacher has not yet given up on continuing his career in Formula 1: “Formula 1 has always been a dream and it will always remain a dream,” says the German ahead of his first season in endurance racing
Schumacher has joined the Alpine team in the World Endurance Championship for the coming season and will be one of six drivers to pilot the French team’s hypercar. He will also continue in his role as Mercedes test and reserve driver, which he already held in 2023.
The fact that he has nevertheless looked for another racing activity is logical for the 24-year-old: “There’s no reason to stay here, not race and fall behind everyone,” he clarifies.
“Then I’d rather go out, find something else to ride and develop my skills. And if that doesn’t lead to Formula 1 again in the end, but to another career, then I’m happy with that too,” says Schumacher.
The son of record world champion Michael Schumacher made his Formula 1 debut with the Haas team in 2021 after becoming Formula 2 champion the year before. After a points-less debut season in an inferior car, he scored twelve points in 2022.
Nevertheless, he was replaced by his compatriot Nico Hülkenberg for 2023. Schumacher went to Mercedes, where he does important work in the simulator as a test and replacement driver and is on standby in case Lewis Hamilton or George Russell drop out
After his first year at Brackley, he draws a positive balance: “The most important thing for me as a driver is that I now know much better what I want from the team around me, what I am worth and what I can bring to a team,” he says.
“In my first year in Formula 1, it was obviously difficult to know exactly what position I should take and how far I could go with my comments and everything,” he says. But after a year alongside Hamilton and Russell, he now knows how high the bar is and how far he can go.
“I have no problem sharing my information in the future. “