Mick Schumacher will get back to racing in 2024 with Alpine’s World Endurance Championship (WEC) team, as he looks to build his career away from F1. However, staying connected to the pinnacle of motorsports is what prompted the German to make the jump to Alpine in the first place.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Schumacher made the decision because he wanted to work for both Mercedes and Alpine. The former, because he is still a reserve driver for them, and the latter as part of their hypercar project.
An experience is what I call this weekend.
I learned so much, not only in these 10 hours but also in these 10 days that we‘ve spent here in Qatar getting ready for this event.
Congratulations to our sister car 35 and the team on a great result. Finishing in the points is… pic.twitter.com/sNdtcqkjOc— Mick Schumacher (@SchumacherMick) March 3, 2024
“In the end, the choice to focus on the WEC was quite simple,” Schumacher said. “Because I still want to have that connection with F1 that I have through Mercedes. At the same time, I now work for Alpine and consequently also for F1 itself.”
Taking part in the WEC is a huge deal, and performing well is even better. It could help polish the young German driver’s skills and put him under the radar of F1 teams once again.
Alpine, the team he will be representing, have a team in F1 themselves and the connections he builds with the Enstone-based outfit could prove to be pivotal for his F1 future. Although the road back to F1 is difficult for the ex-Haas driver, it is a dream that he won’t give up on just yet.
Mick Schumacher’s possible options
Mick Schumacher lost his place at Haas at the end of the 2022 season, and Toto Wolff took him in at Mercedes as a reserve driver. Now that Lewis Hamilton announced he will leave the Silver Arrows at the end of the 2024 campaign, a spot opens up and Schumacher’s name has been linked.
Keeping this in mind, Schumacher will be looking to put up a strong display in the WEC, which starts next month. Mercedes, however, won’t be the only team he keeps an eye out for.
Because of Hamilton’s departure, there will be a shake-up in the grid and it could affect Alpine too. The French team is underperforming massively at the moment. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are reportedly looking to leave, and Mercedes is a possible destination for either driver.
Schumacher could be hoping to impress the higher-ups on the French team and hope for a seat in the future. The competition is strong, however, because there are several talented figures, including Carlos Sainz, who are hunting for a seat.
