“Mick Schumacher mérite une deuxième chance en F1”, estime Toto Wolff
The boss of the Mercedes team was invited to speak about Mick Schumacher, the current reserve driver of his team. He believes that he did not have enough time to showcase his skills during his two years at Haas.
His progress was fast. With some highs, but mostly lows. Arriving at Haas in 2021, alongside Nikita Mazepin, the young German immediately outshone his teammate. Whether it was in qualifying or in the race. Michael Schumacher’s son benefited from the advice and expertise of Sebastian Vettel, to assist him in his development.
Behind the wheel of a mediocre car in 2021, he managed several times to make it into Q2. Before improving in 2022 with appearances in Q3. However, Nikita Mazepin was replaced by the experienced Kevin Magnussen and suffered in comparison. This pushed him to his limits and he made many piloting mistakes, resulting in going off track.
Since then, Mick Schumacher has been released by Haas and has returned to Mercedes as a test driver. According to his boss, Toto Wolff, the German deserves a place in F1, despite last year’s blunders.
An important job in the simulator
« If you don’t feel confident in a car for a long period of time, the more pressure you put on yourself, the less performant you become, and I think that’s what happened with Haas, according to Toto Wolff.
« He is a fast driver. If you win in F3 and F2, it means you have strong potential and he has never been able to show it. I am glad to know that we have a third driver who, I know, will do the job if one of our drivers eats spoiled fish. His contribution in the simulator is huge, and sometimes it allows us to make big steps forward between Friday and Saturday because he works all night. »
Few spots available in 2024
In 2024, seats are becoming scarce. For now, only Sauber, AlphaTauri, and Williams have not confirmed their drivers. Mick Schumacher could have the best chance, possibly with Williams. The British team uses Mercedes engines, Alex Albon is being courted by other competitors, and Logan Sargeant is said to be on the hot seat.
