Mercedes welcomes Mick Schumacher as reserve driver after his split with Ferrari
Dec 16, 2022
Brackley [UK], December 16 : Mick Schumacher penned a deal with Mercedes and joined them as a reserve driver after ending his four-year partnership with Ferrari.
After being dropped by Haas this year after two lacklustre seasons, Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion and Ferrari icon Michael, was searching for his next opportunity in Formula One as per ESPN.
Mercedes formally named the 23-year-old as its reserve driver for the 2023 season on Thursday, just hours after Ferrari said it would be parting company with the young driver.
In his new position, Schumacher will oversee simulator work at Mercedes' Brackley facility, visit races as a possible replacement for Lewis Hamilton or George Russell in the event that one or both of them is unable to compete, and be accessible for Mercedes' partner teams Williams and Aston Martin.
Furthermore, it keeps Schumacher's chances of competing in Formula 1 open. Nyck de Vries, a former Mercedes reserve driver, impressed for Williams at the Italian Grand Prix in September, earning himself a full-time F1 ride with AlphaTauri in 2023.
The position maintains Michael Schumacher's association with Mercedes, which initially supported his early career. Between 2010 and 2012, the first three F1 seasons following Mercedes' comeback to the grid, he also raced for Mercedes.
After winning the Formula 3 championship in 2018, Mick was invited to join the Ferrari driver programme in 2019. He was promoted to F1 with Haas in 2021 after winning the Formula 2 title in 2020.
After winning the Formula 3 championship in 2018, Mick was invited to join the Ferrari driver programme in 2019. He was promoted to F1 with Haas in 2021 after winning the Formula 2 title in 2020.
In the first year, Schumacher battled with a car that wasn't competitive. Kevin Magnussen, his more seasoned colleague, consistently outscored him in 2022, and he only managed to win points at two races. For 2022, Haas has Nico Hulkenberg in his place.
