“If you get the taste of the best there is…” Mick Schumacher not interested in any other racing series after getting ‘taste of the best’ F1
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Mick Schumacher (IMAGO / Motorsport Images)
After being ousted from his seat at Haas, Mick Schumacher was forced to take a ‘break year’ from racing in F1. However, he will be in the paddock every weekend – as Mercedes’ reserve driver. Obviously, that’s not the sum of his ambitions – he wants to be world champion. For that to happen, he will first have to make his way back onto the F1 grid. Which isn’t going to be particularly easy, but not impossible.
Schumacher is also not going to compete in any other racing series, instead focusing on his reserve driver role. Nico Rosberg had earlier said (see Also Read) that the young German could have ‘fun’ in other racing series if his F1 return doesn’t come true – but it doesn’t seem he’s interested in doing that. Competing in IndyCar or DTM alongside his reserve driver role could’ve helped him keep sharp and ‘prove himself’, but he doesn’t want to settle for less.
Speaking to GPFans, Schumacher made it clear that his focus is fully on Formula 1: “I’m for sure not going to drive anything else as of right now. I’m simply not interested in that. If you get the taste of the best there is, you’re not going to settle for anything else and so definitely I’ll be sticking around in the paddock.”
Mick Schumacher ’99 percent sure’ he’ll be at every F1 race in 2023
The dream isn’t yet over for Mick Schumacher. The fact that he’ll stay connected to the grid is a boost to his chances. Perhaps if he impresses Mercedes enough in his reserve role, he’ll be tipped as Lewis Hamilton’s successor in the future. It’s rather unlikely but possible as there is no concrete news of the Silver Arrows’ plan for the succession.
Schumacher aims to stick around in the paddock, and prove himself enough that by 2024 he’ll be back: “I’m 99 percent sure that I’ll come to every race and yes, just be around and again, position myself into a place where hopefully in ’24 I’ll be back on the grid.” 2024 is also the ‘deadline’ set by Nico Rosberg for the German driver to return to F1, after which the pundit felt it would be very tough.
In any case, if any one of Hamilton or George Russell should fall sick or otherwise be unavailable, Schumacher will be Mercedes’ man. That would be a great opportunity for him to prove himself in a far superior car than the ones he’s driven in his career previously. If that chance comes up and he’s unavailable, it’ll be a calamity, to say the least.
Also Read: Mick Schumacher continues to believe himself capable of being F1 champion
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Aniket Tripathi
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