BRACKLEY: Mick Schumacher, the son of legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher, has joined the Mercedes F1 team as their reserve driver for the 2023 season of Formula 1.
Schumacher became a 2023 free agent after he lost his seat in Haas to Nico Hulkenberg. He will be a backup to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Schumaker’s dad spent his final three seasons as a driver with Mercedes.
Schumacher was previously a part of Ferrari’s driver academy and was climbing through the ranks in the sport. Mercedes announced the move just less than an hour after Ferrari confirmed it had parted ways with the son of the legendary racer.
“I am thrilled to be part of the Mercedes team and I am committed to give it my all to contribute to their performance in this very competitive and professional environment,” Mick was quoted as saying to Sky Sports.
“I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto and everybody involved for putting their trust in me,” he added.
“F1 is such a fascinating world and you never stop learning, so I look forward to absorbing more knowledge and putting in all my efforts for the benefit of the Mercedes team,” Mick said.
Team’s boss Toto Wolff also feels that Schumacher will be “ready to step into the car at a short notice should that need arise.”
Wolff said, “Mick is a talented young driver and we are delighted to have him join the team.”
“He is a hard worker, has a calm and methodical approach and is still hungry to learn and improve as a driver. These are all important qualities, and we’re excited for him to help us develop the W14,” Wolff added.
“We also know that with two years of experience racing in Formula 1 under his belt, he will be ready to step into the car at short notice to replace either Lewis or George, should that need arise,” Wolff said.
Schumaker will replace Nyck de Varies as a reserve driver, with the Dutchman set to take a full-time role at AlphaTauri.
Schumacher had joined the Ferrari academy in 2019, but ended his association with the Italians, crushing the hopes that he could follow in the footsteps of his legendary father, who was a vital part of Ferrari at one point.
After failing to score point in a slow Haas car in his debut campaign, Schumaker showed improvement in 2022, finishing eighth and sixth in back-to-back races at Silverstone and the Austrian Grand Prix.
However, he could not add to that tally, was outscored by team-mate Kevin Magnussen by 13 points. (ANI)