Mick Schumacher backed to land Alfa Romeo drive mid-season

Mick Schumacher is being backed to land a Formula 1 drive this season with Alfa Romeo.

Although F1 is still waiting to get underway, former driver Nick Heidfeld believes Schumacher could replace Antonio Giovinazzi mid-season if various pieces fall into place.

As a Ferrari academy driver, and given the links between the Scuderia and Alfa Romeo, Heidfeld feels a door may open for the son of the seven-time F1 champion.

“The good thing about the Schumacher family is they know exactly when they have to do something so they don't get him into Formula 1 too early,” said Heidfeld, speaking to Sky Germany.

The 183-race veteran, who drove for Prost, Sauber, Jordan, Williams, BMW Sauber and Lotus Renault during a 12-season career from 2000 to 2011, added: "I wouldn't be surprised if we might see him in the car this season.

"Obviously not at Ferrari, but perhaps at Alfa, where I think both places are still free in the coming season [2021].

"If he performs really well in Formula 2 this year and Giovinazzi has bigger problems in Formula 1 than last year, I wouldn't be surprised if he is there [at Alfa Romeo] sometime in the middle of the season."

Schumacher tested for both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo during an in-season test in Bahrain last year.

The 21-year-old, however, who was F3 European champion in 2018, endured a mixed debut season in F2 with Prema Racing, finishing 12th with 53 points and just one race victory to his name.

With both Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen out of contract at Alfa at the end of the year, if Schumacher is to be promoted to F1, his opportunity is likely to come next season rather than in the middle of whatever transpires this term.

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