Schumacher still being 'coached' by Ferrari

Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has revealed Mick Schumacher is continually being 'coached' by the Scuderia as part of his progression towards potentially one day taking up a full-time race seat.

After winning the F2 title in 2020, Schumacher was handed his F1 debut with Haas this past year, albeit in a back-of-the-grid car that was never developed throughout the entirety of the campaign.

It proved to be a tough but invaluable experience for Schumacher who will split his duties for the 2022 campaign by driving for a second season with Haas but also serving as a reserve driver at 11 grands prix with Ferrari.

Antonio Giovinazzi, who is competing in Formula E next season after being released by Alfa Romeo, will be Ferrari's reserve for the remaining 12 races in the record-breaking 23-event campaign.

Assessing Schumacher's overall role as a reserve, speaking at a media briefing just before Christmas that also included GPFans, Binotto said: "Mick is still part of the Ferrari Driver Academy which means we are still coaching him as a driver even today.

"In 2021, he was followed by Ferrari engineers dedicated to the Ferrari Driver Academy programme to support him in his development and that will continue next year. A simulator will be available to him at Maranello.

"But we've an entire programme [with him] because in still being part of an academy, it's part of our objective to continuously try to develop them as drivers.

"Again, the final objective one day, is they will prove to be capable to be a Ferrari driver."

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