Mick Schumacher reveals LATE call on F1 drive

mick schumacher confirms Mercedes stay for 2024 — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

Schumacher reveals LATE call on F1 drive

Mick Schumacher confirms that Haas' decision to let him go was made 'rather late'

Shay Rogers

Wednesday 6 December 2023 15:57

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Mick Schumacher has revealed that Haas only confirmed their intentions to let him go on the eve of the final race of the 2022 season in Abu Dhabi.

Following a steep learning curve, Schumacher came on strong in the second half of 2022 and was considered a strong candidate to remain in the second Haas seat for 2023.

Sadly, team boss Guenther Steiner decided that a new approach was required, and the German was let go of incredibly late in the year with little else on offer in terms of opportunities for the following season.

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Schumacher opted to join Mercedes as reserve driver and has spent the last 12 months learning the ins and outs of the German manufacturer’s operation.

Mick Schumacher dramatically improved across the course of the 2022 season

Mick Schumacher has enjoyed his time at Mercedes learning a new craft

Schumacher: It’s a bit late to go and look for other places

“Obviously, everything happened rather late,” he told the Formula 1 website. “I got told the day before the last weekend started that I was not going to be on the grid in 2023. So, it’s a bit late to go and look for other places which obviously isn’t great.

“But yeah, we took that option up which Mercedes had given us earlier that year that if nothing would be opening up, I would have a space here, so that’s what we did and here we are now.

“I went to Brackley in 2010, maybe. The first time I really remember was really in 2014 but it was for a sim session at the time.

Mick Schumacher will return to racing in 2024 as he debuts in a new racing series

“Obviously to return there now was obviously in some ways very interesting. To get to see how a big team like Mercedes operates in Formula 1 is something very special.”

Schumacher was recently confirmed as one of six World Endurance Championship drivers for Alpine in the 2024 season.

Still only 24 years old, Schumacher still has plenty of time to return to Formula 1 if his performances warrant a promotion.

With significant movements expected to be just around the corner in 2025, he could by eyeing up a return to the pinnacle of motorsport sooner rather than later.

Mercedes Haas Mick Schumacher