Mick Schumacher will depart from his reserve driver place at Mercedes on the finish of the season, as Valtteri Bottas appears set to imagine the function for 2025.
The German joined the group as reserve at first of 2023, after shedding his Haas System 1 seat to Nico Hulkenberg on the finish of 2022. Schumacher, who additionally left the Ferrari Driver Academy, linked up with Mercedes – whom his father Michael had pushed for between 2010 and 2012.
After two years on the group, Schumacher has elected to depart with a view to pursue different alternatives – though this won’t be a race drive in F1 subsequent 12 months as there are not any practical choices left.
Schumacher had been within the dialog for the second Sauber seat alongside Hulkenberg, however this went to F2 championship chief Gabriel Bortoleto.
He acknowledged that his focus was “100% on racing” in 2025; Schumacher dovetailed his Mercedes reserve function with an Alpine drive within the World Endurance Championship.
“I’m grateful to Toto and the whole Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Workforce for the perception I’ve gained over these two years,” Schumacher stated.
“They’ve undoubtedly made me a extra skilled racing driver as a result of I’ve acquired to know the engineering facet higher. However watching these automobiles race and never sitting within the cockpit myself is hard.
“I wish to get again to focusing 100% on racing. I wish to be absolutely dedicated to the sporting facet of motorsport. In the end, it’s racing that you simply wish to do as a driver, it’s racing that provides you that feeling you like.”
Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Workforce
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Workforce principal and CEO Toto Wolff thanked Schumacher for his efforts – and accepted the 25-year-old’s clarification that he wished to pursue a full racing programme in 2025.
“Mick’s laborious work, diligence, and willpower in his function as reserve driver has been important for the group over the previous two years,” stated Wolff.
“From his work within the simulator, testing of assorted automobiles, and being a part of the trackside group, we could not have requested for any extra from him. From day one, he fitted into the group with ease and has change into an extremely well-liked colleague for everybody at Brackley and Brixworth.
“Nevertheless, Mick is at the start a racing driver. We have now seen from each his time in F1, and this 12 months along with his performances within the World Endurance Championship, that he’s a racer of an extremely excessive calibre and one which deserves to be competing in the perfect championships.
“As he strikes on to his subsequent problem, I wish to thank Mick personally for his contribution to our group and all of us want him the perfect in his future endeavours.”
It’s unknown the place Schumacher will race in 2025, however he could also be one in every of many drivers with F1 expertise in competition for a Cadillac drive when the group enters the championship in 2026.
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
System 1
Mick Schumacher
Mercedes
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