No return to Formula One? Mick Schumacher can be at peace with it
- Ludo van Denderen
It took quite some getting used to for Mick Schumacher. For years, he was active in racing as a driver, but in 2023, the German was forced to stand on the sidelines. As a test and reserve driver for Mercedes, Schumacher was present at (almost) all Grands Prix. Driving races himself was not in the cards. That will change in 2024 when he will embark on an adventure with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
It will be the second consecutive season that Michael's son will not be active in Formula 1. Speaking to the media - including F1.com - Schumacher said he does not hope his F1 dream is over forever. At the same time, he is not heavily frustrated at the lack of a seat.
Schumacher wants to take to the track again
When the opportunity to compete in WEC presented itself, the former Haas F1 driver did not have to think about it for long: "Again, there is no reason to stay here, not race, fall behind everybody… I would rather go out there, find something to race and develop my skills. In the end, if that leads to no way back into F1 but leads to another career, then I am happy to do that.”
Despite his commitments at Alpine, Schumacher will remain attached to Mercedes in 2024. Should Lewis Hamilton or George Russell be unable to compete at a Grand Prix for one reason or another, Schumacher will basically be the replacement. Moreover, the German will continue to do test work for the F1 team.
"Having worked with Lewis and George for one year now, I kind of know how high the bar is set and how far I can go, and I have no problem sharing my information in the future [with Mercedes]," Schumacher said.