Mick Schumacher parts ways with Ferrari; to be Mercedes’ reserve driver for 2023
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Mick Schumacher (L) signs his Mercedes contract with Toto Wolff (R) alongside him
Mick Schumacher is the son of Formula 1’s (joint) record champion, and arguably the greatest driver ever – Michael Schumacher. The pressure for him to ‘match up’ to his father was always grave, and it possibly took its toll. His possibly final F1 season was marked with inconsistent (but sometimes brilliant) performances, and ultimately Haas just wanted someone with experience.
His father won 5 world drivers’ titles at Ferrari – the man simply lived and breathed red, and even people who do not know much about F1 will associate Schumacher with the Maranello team. After departing from Haas, Schumacher Jr. has now also cut ties with the Ferrari Driver Academy. During his stint with the FDA, he won Formula 2 (2020) and the Formula 3 European Championship (2018).
In their blog post announcing Schumacher’s departure, Ferrari wrote: “Scuderia Ferrari and Mick Schumacher have mutually decided not to extend their collaboration, after working together for four years with Mick having been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy.” adding: “Scuderia Ferrari thanks Mick for these four years and the many kilometres covered together, and wishes him all the best for the future.”
But there’s another team people associate the name Schumacher with – the German team, Mercedes, who he helped build up to the powerhouse they are now. Toto Wolff had earlier said that the Schumacher family ‘belongs’ to the Silver Arrows and also spoke about how much they ‘value’ Mick. And now the move has materialized: He will be the team’s reserve driver in 2023.
Mick Schumacher ‘thrilled’ to become a part of Mercedes
Mick’s father, Michael, came out of retirement to drive for Mercedes between 2010 and 2012, and they owe some part of their future success to him. Now, Mick has brought the Schumacher name back to the Silver Arrows. While he is definitely a capable driver, he is also a great marketing asset, and the team are aware of that.
Mercedes described his duties for 2023 in their announcement blog post: “Mick will play an important role in the ongoing development of the W14. He will conduct regular work in the simulator at Brackley throughout the year, as we fight back from a challenging 2022 season. This work will be harnessed trackside as Mick will also attend all Grands Prix in his new role, alongside carrying out marketing duties across the year.”
Schumacher said he was ‘thrilled’ to become a part of Mercedes, and is committed to ‘giving his all’ to contribute to their performance. Moreover, he takes this as a new start: “I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto and everybody involved for putting their trust in me. F1 is such a fascinating world, and you never stop learning, so I look forward to absorbing more knowledge and putting in all my efforts for the benefit of the Mercedes team.”
The 23-year-old has plenty of experience in Formula 1 now, and while he will surely look to get a future full-time racing seat (at Mercedes or anywhere else) in the future, for now, as per Toto Wolff, he will be ready to replace Lewis Hamilton or George Russell ‘at short notice’ in his duties as a reserve driver, ‘should the need arise’. He previously served as the reserve driver for Ferrari in 2021 and 2022, so he has plenty of experience in that regard as well.
Also Read: “I will work hard on myself,” Mick Schumacher determined to get back on F1 grid in 2024
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)