Mick Schumacher increasingly pessimistic about getting F1 drive in 2024

Toto Wolff and Mick Schumacher walk through the paddock at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 2024

Schumacher increasingly pessimistic about getting F1 drive in 2024

The young German is looking at other options

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 4 September 2023 13:57

Mick Schumacher has said that he is looking at alternative options for 2024, as a seat in Formula 1 looks increasingly unlikely.

The young German, who is the son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, is currently the reserve driver at Mercedes, having been picked up by the team at the end of last season.

It's a role that he has said he is enjoying, learning from the man who shares his father's record of seven world championships, Lewis Hamilton, as well as talented young Englishman George Russell.

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Nonetheless, Schumacher will be looking for a seat back on the grid in 2024, having raced in 2021 and 2022 for Haas.

Many have suggested that Guenther Steiner and the Haas team's treatment of Schumacher was harsh, replacing him after two years in which he had struggled in an underperforming car, but only finished 13 points behind his much more experienced team-mate Kevin Magnussen in 2022.

Now, the German has suggested that he is finding it harder than expected to find a way back onto the grid.

“There is little movement at the moment. Many drivers are already set or have a contract that doesn’t expire until the end of next year,” he told Sky Sports Germany.

“I can only present myself and say: 'You got that from me, that's what you can expect'. I know I still have a lot left in me.”

Schumacher is prepared for the fact that he could come away empty-handed again. “Unfortunately there is a plan B,” he admitted, although he didn't specify what that may look like.

Not too many empty F1 seats

Logan Sargeant has been struggling in the Williams in 2023

With Schumacher's two team-mates signing new deals with Mercedes last week to keep them at the team until at least the end of 2025, Schumacher knows that there isn't any hope of him being able to spend a season on the grid with his father's old team anytime soon.

In fact, most teams have already got their driver lineup sorted for 2024, with the three teams that haven't being Williams, AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo.

AlphaTauri are still looking for two drivers for 2024, although they have plenty of choice with Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson and Nyck de Vries all racing with the team in 2023, and Lawson in particular impressing in his short spell.

Alfa Romeo haven't re-signed Zhou Guanyu just yet, but his performances over the past two seasons have been close enough to team-mate Valtteri Bottas that it would seem harsh not to get the contract signed with him.

That leaves Williams, then, who have one driver in supreme form in Alex Albon, and one driver who is struggling in Logan Sargeant.

With Mercedes' great relationship with Williams, it would make the most sense for Schumacher to end up there alongside Albon, but Williams are known to give underperforming drivers time to rectify their performances, and it's easy to forget that Sargeant is just a rookie.