Apart from the DSQ of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, a major headline after the Mexico City GP came when Mercedes announced the sudden departure of former CTO Mike Elliott from the team. The departure, effective immediately, laid down many doubts about Elliott’s future, with there being no links to other teams on the grid.
Soon after the departure, rumors started surfacing that the departure came because of Elliott’s unsatisfactory work on the W14. The same arose when Elliott had to step down as CTO and make way for James Allison at the start of 2023. Per the latest report from F1 Maximaal, which quotes the words of Canal+ commentator Franck Montagny, there might soon be a big move involving Elliott and Mick Schumacher.
🚨 BREAKING: Mike Elliott has resigned, today is his last day at working at Mercedes. pic.twitter.com/mosk1WlDia
— Mercedes-AMG F1 News (@MercedesNewsUK) October 31, 2023
Per Montagny, Alpine might soon strike up a deal with Elliott, with Schumacher also being in the mix. Schumacher has been on the sidelines of F1 as a reserve driver for Mercedes for well over a year. The German recently drove Alpine’s LMDh car that they want to debut in the 2024 WEC. As such, a switch from Mercedes to Alpine is his best chance of racing in 2024.
“I have the feeling that a deal will take place between the two teams. I would put my money on Elliott’s arrival at Alpine, who will take Schumacher with him.”
With Logan Sargeant potentially closing out the last remaining open spot on the F1 grid, the son of the legendary Michael Schumacher has little chance of getting a drive in F1 in 2024. Given the same, it might be best if he switched disciplines to not lose his edge.
Mick Schumacher open for all moves but one
Having not had a fairytale career resembling his father’s, Mick Schumacher has a calculated approach towards his racing career and is open to making a switch to another discipline. Being open to the idea of the switch, the German still has his reservations and claims there is one form of motorsports he will never go to, and that is Formula E. Per a report from PlanetF1, the German said, “Would I value an experience in Formula E? I’ll be very honest with you and tell you no. I like engines, I like petrol so definitely not that.”
Mick Schumacher says NO to Formula E ❌🏎️#f1 #schumacher #mercedesamgf1 pic.twitter.com/RbYCPBKmYt
— Oh My Formula 1 (@OhMyFormula1) November 9, 2023
Having tested the Alpine car in Jerez, Schumacher impressed Bruno Famin, boosting his chances for a seat in Alpine’s WEC driver lineup. Famin said they were happy with Schumacher’s performance and also mentioned there is potential for a discussion between the two parties for a partnership in 2024. Should the deal go through, Famin believes there is no reason why Schumacher won’t be able to find success in WEC, as he believes the German is a “fast and clever boy” and has the necessary skills to become a good long-distance driver.
