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 workforce as reserve at the beginning of 2023, after dropping his Haas Method 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 workforce, Schumacher has elected to depart as a way to pursue different alternatives – though this is not going to be a race drive in F1 subsequent yr as there are not any real looking 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 your complete Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Staff for the perception I’ve gained over these two years,” Schumacher mentioned.
“They’ve undoubtedly made me a extra skilled racing driver as a result of I’ve obtained to know the engineering aspect higher. However watching these vehicles 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 aspect of motorsport. In the end, it’s racing that you just wish to do as a driver, it’s racing that provides you that feeling you’re keen on.”
Mick Schumacher, Reserve Driver, Mercedes-AMG F1 Staff
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photos
Staff principal and CEO Toto Wolff thanked Schumacher for his efforts – and accepted the 25-year-old’s rationalization that he wished to pursue a full racing programme in 2025.
“Mick’s arduous work, diligence, and dedication in his function as reserve driver has been important for the workforce over the previous two years,” mentioned Wolff.
“From his work within the simulator, testing of assorted vehicles, and being a part of the trackside workforce, we could not have requested for any extra from him. From day one, he fitted into the workforce with ease and has turn into an extremely well-liked colleague for everybody at Brackley and Brixworth.
“Nevertheless, Mick is at first a racing driver. We now have seen from each his time in F1, and this yr together 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 easiest championships.
“As he strikes on to his subsequent problem, I want to thank Mick personally for his contribution to our workforce and all of us want him the easiest in his future endeavours.”
It’s unknown the place Schumacher will race in 2025, however he could also be one in all many drivers with F1 expertise in competition for a Cadillac drive when the workforce enters the championship in 2026.
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Jake Boxall-Legge
Method 1
Mick Schumacher
Mercedes
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