'Vowles refuses Wolff request after Schumacher's Mercedes simulator data'

Mick Schumacher is without a seat in Formula 1 this season after two seasons with the Haas F1 team. The German now fills the role of reserve driver at Mercedes' team, but Toto Wolff is keen to have his third driver on the F1 grid. According to F1-insider.com, at least at Williams, that is no longer going to happen.

In 2021, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher made his debut in the highest class of motorsport. Schumacher joined American Haas to drive alongside Nikita Mazepin. In his first season, Schumacher beat his teammate, but a year later, when Kevin Magnussen became his teammate, things slowed down. The young German crashed regularly and eventually Haas decided to replace him with his more experienced compatriot Nico Hulkenberg.

According to the German medium, Mercedes team boss Wolff has knocked on Williams' door, among others, for a possible 2024 F1 seat. The Austrian is said to have spoken to Williams team boss James Vowles, who was previously the head of the strategy department at Mercedes. Wolff is even said to have sent his former colleague simulator data from Mick Schumacher.

However, sharing the Mercedes simulator data with Schumacher behind the wheel would not have helped. After analysing the data, Vowles reportedly refused Wolff's request, so a seat at Williams for Schumacher seems off the table. Earlier, Christian Horner hinted that substitute Liam Lawson could be loaned to Williams, giving Schumacher another competitor. However, the German is also in talks with Alpine for 2024.