Mick Schumacher probably wasn’t a name people expected to figure heavily in the F1 driver market conversation this year. Schumacher slipped off the grid with little fanfare at the end of 2022 following two seasons with Haas.
But the son of seven-time world champion Michael hasn’t given up. In fact, one journalist says he’s ‘pushing like hell’ to secure a second chance at the pinnacle of motorsport.
This season, Schumacher has split his responsibilities. In addition to carrying out a reserve role for Mercedes, he’s racing in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine.
Toto Wolff has already told him he won’t be replacing Lewis Hamilton next year. Much as Mercedes may need a stop-gap before Max Verstappen becomes available in 2026, signing the 25-year-old would be too big a risk.
However, he would have been straight on the phone to his agent after Alpine’s announcement on Monday. The French team confirmed that Esteban Ocon would be leaving at the end of the season.
This looks like Schumacher’s best bet of making a comeback. If he gets overlooked for this vacancy and misses out on the 2025 grid, then it’s hard to see him returning at all.
Ralf Schumacher admits nephew Mick faces stiff Jack Doohan competition for Alpine seat
Speaking to formel1.de, Schumacher’s uncle Ralf, a six-time Grand Prix winner in his own right, was asked to comment on the chances of a move to Alpine. It’s fair to say he didn’t sound overly optimistic.
If the team are going for an inexperienced driver, they may land on academy talent Jack Doohan. The Australian has impressed the team with his commitment to his reserve role this year, and will drive in FP1 at the Canadian Grand Prix on Friday.
And then there’s the group of more experienced competitors. One report has claimed Alpine could look to pair Pierre Gasly with 67-time podium-finisher Valtteri Bottas, who may lose his drive at Sauber after the signing of Nico Hulkenberg.
“It’s hard for me to say because there are so many [options],” Schumacher said. “Alpine has its own youth programme. Jack Doohan is still there, and Bottas is still looking for a place.
“The same applies for Carlos Sainz, he’s also on the market. There’s so much on the market at the moment that you have to wait and see.”
What Alpine team principal Bruno Famin has said about Mick Schumacher
Schumacher has apparently impressed the team’s hierarchy with his WEC performances. F1 is a different beast of course, and they could look to test him in one of their old cars to establish a reference point.
Team principal Bruno Famin has publicly stated that it would be a ‘mistake’ not to give genuine consideration to the German. But it’s hard to imagine him being top of the list despite the value of his name.
Indeed, his former boss Guenther Steiner has advised Alpine against hiring him. The ex-Haas team principal believes that, as a works team, they should be targeting the absolute best drivers available.
Steiner’s successor Ayao Komatsu could be about to snap up Oliver Bearman for 2025. Haas’ last rookies, Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, were both off the grid within a couple of years, but Komatsu has said that Bearman is in a different ‘category’.
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