Mick Schumacher has joined the Mercedes F1 team as their reserve driver after Haas dropped him and he parted ways from Ferrari Driver Academy.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has applauded Schumacher’s arrival into the Brackley-based camp and has listed his important qualities as well suited for the team.
Welcoming the German driver, Wolff also revealed that with Schumacher’s 2 years of experience in F1 he can also be ready to sub for either George Russell or Lewis Hamilton if need be.
The 23-year-old also hailed his relationship with Mercedes because of his family’s history with the team and is positive about his growth with the top team.
How does it feel to join Mercedes as their reserve driver for 2023?
Mick answers below…
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Toto Wolff wanted Mick Schumacher to be part of the Mercedes
Schumacher started his career in F1 with the Haas F1 team alongside another rookie driver Nikita Mazepin in the 2021 season. He had been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2019 but has now parted ways with the Scuderia.
Wolff said that Schumacher has always been close to the heart of the German manufacturers and he had always wanted to sign him.
As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Wolff did finalise the deal with the young driver in his bid to grow and become a top driver.
Schumacher’s entire family has ties to the Silver Arrows and therefore both the team and the driver are pretty excited about this new journey ahead.
Back in 2010, Mick’s father, Michael Schumacher had returned from retirement with the Mercedes F1 team and had remained there for the final 3 years of his F1 career.
Mick to follow in his father’s footsteps
Schumacher junior hopes to reignite his father’s legacy with the Mercedes F1 team and he said that this new collaboration means a lot to the German driver.
Talking about the time his father drove the German manufacturer’s car on the track, Mick said that it was more of a foundation period when his father was with the team and therefore he is very proud of being part of the team.
He said that he feels very close to Mercedes and that is not just because of the history with his family but also because of F3 and the time he spent with the team when he was young.