Schumacher to be reserve driver for McLaren as well as for Mercedes in 2023

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Schumacher reserve driver for McLaren in 2023
1 February 2023 at 16:28
Last update 1 February 2023 at 22:10
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  • GPblog.com

Mick Schumacher will not only be a test driver for Mercedes in 2023, but also for McLaren. The British team announced on Twitter that it has struck a deal with Mercedes for Schumacher's services.

Schumacher will be reserve driver behind regular drivers Lando Norris and newcomer Oscar Piastri. Schumacher is not the only reserve ready at McLaren: IndyCar champion Alex Palou will also be a reserve driver at McLaren in 2023. Schumacher's arrival is a bit of a family reunion at McLaren: new team boss Andrea Stella was performance engineer for Michael Schumacher during his time at Ferrari.

A construction where a driver is reserve at different teams is not unusual. For example, Antonio Giovinazzi was a reserve driver at both Haas and Ferrari in 2022, and Nyck de Vries was in the wings at Mercedes and Williams that same year.

Return to the track possible for Schumacher

Schumacher lost his regular seat at the end of 2022. After two years at Haas, driving alongside Nikita Mazepin and Kevin Magnussen, Haas decided not to renew his contract. His replacement was compatriot Nico Hülkenberg, a choice Haas said was mainly due to the experience Hülkenberg brought with him. The double reserve role means there is a reasonable chance Schumacher will be seen on the track again in the 2023 season.