After 2 seasons with Haas, Mick Schumacher will not be a part of the Formula 1 grid for the 2023 seasons. The American team let go of his services following a lack of consistent results from the 23-year-old.
Instead, Mick will be taking up the role of reserve driver at Mercedes. The German will play second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and shall be featured in their Friday test runs.
Schumacher’s focus will be to gather experience and make a return to the F1 grid as soon as 2024. But had fortunes favoured him, Schumacher would have found himself a potential seat in AlphaTauri or the Red Bull programme.
Franz Tost reveals Mick Schumacher was on AlphaTauri’s watchlist
Mick Schumacher was one of the candidates on AlphaTauri’s watchlist. The team seriously considered bringing Schumacher to replace Pierre Gasly who had received an offer from Alpine to drive their 2023 car.
Gasly was keen on leaving, but AlphaTauri did not have a viable replacement for the Frenchman. Team principal Franz Tost was reluctant to let Gasly leave. But he felt Mick would have been a good choice to bring in.
Tost revealed in an interview, “I would have liked to have had Mick in the car. I am convinced that he is talented and that he also has what it takes to drive successfully in Formula 1.”
NEWS: We are delighted to confirm that @SchumacherMick will join the Team in the role of Reserve Driver for 2023. 💪
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 15, 2022
Under Tost’s leadership, AlphaTauri has developed young drivers with immense talent under their wings. This includes World Champions like Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel along with drivers like Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo and many more.
With a legacy to train and bring out talent, AlphaTauri would have been a wise move for the youngster. But Tost knew the chance of bringing the 23-year-old to Faenza was slim to none.
Also Read: Audi rules out Mick Schumacher from driver programme after Mercedes move
Why AlphaTauri could not sign Mick to replace Gasly
Mick Schumacher is a talented racer with great potential on his hands. The German won the 2020 F2 Championship which earned him an F1 seat with Haas.
Schumacher’s exit from Haas was a long drawn-out process. And it was just before the last race of the season that the decision was made public.
And that was too late for AlphaTauri who had already signed Nyck De Vries from Mercedes as Pierre Gasly’s replacement. But acquiring Schumacher’s services wasn’t easy as Franz Tost reveals “political reasons” prevented the move.
“There were other circumstances,” claims Tost referring to Mick’s ties with Ferrari Driver Academy. Ferrari had sponsored Schumacher since his F2 days and delivered him the racing seat with Haas.
Mick Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari have ‘mutually decided not to extend their collaboration’, meaning he is no longer part of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Story to follow. pic.twitter.com/GVbEmav36C
— The Race (@wearetherace) December 15, 2022
Bringing a talent like him into Red Bull’s ‘B’ Team wouldn’t have been approved by Ferrari. Inevitably, Mick severed ties with the Ferrari Academy, before moving to Mercedes.
Tost however thinks Mick was wise to go to Mercedes to restart his F1 career. He claims, “Mercedes are a very, very good team, one of the best in Formula 1, so, of course, he can learn a great deal.”
However, the Austrian has underlined that Schumacher must be given ample opportunity to drive the car. And hopefully, he can find a permanent seat in the grid for 2024.
Also Read: Mick Schumacher Was in Disbelief When He Knew He Cost $5 Million to Haas in Damages
