F1 News
Will Schumacher have an F1 seat soon? 'It just takes time'
- Toby McLuskie
Mick Schumacher was replaced by compatriot Nico Hulkenberg at Haas F1 this season. The young German was not considered good enough for a third year with the American team so they chose the more experienced Hulkenberg. Schumacher therefore had to settle for just a reserve role at Mercedes for the 2023 season and, according to the German, it just needs time to get back into Formula 1.
Schumacher still working on plans for 2024
As a reserve driver for Mercedes, Schumacher has yet to get a chance to take part in a Grand Prix in 2023, both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell just fit every weekend so far. The son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher should be mainly concerned with simulator work for the German constructor.
Whether Schumacher will also have to worry much about simulator work at Mercedes next year is not yet known. "And in the background, there’s work on my own plans for next year. These are still evolving and it’s just a matter of trying to understand exactly which direction we can go in, how to fit in the commitments and things like that. It just takes time," Mick told Mercedes in an interview.
Schumacher on the Mercedes W15
Mercedes' 2023 battle weapon, the W14, has not delivered what was hoped for. The car is still not competitive enough to compete for wins, even podiums are often out of reach. Mercedes hopes that the W15 can bring the team back to the top and, according to Schumacher, they are already working hard on that.
"While my simulator work has mostly focused on W14, there have been plenty of learnings that are also useful for the future. The development of W15 started quite a while ago. It’s really an ongoing progress. Everything we learn from this year’s car along the way feeds into next year. And we’ve learned a great deal. Everyone is working so hard to develop the best possible car we can for the start of next year," the German told us.