Although Mick Schumacher’s name has not featured heavily in driver market talks for the 2025 F1 season, he is still part of teams’ testing programmes.
The son of the seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher, has taken part in private tests for Mercedes this year to help the squad solve their issues with Pirelli tyres.
Schumacher lost his seat at Haas at the end of the 2022 season due to poor results and has since been performing reserve duties for Mercedes alongside competing with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship.
He impressed the team on his Le Mans debut racing in the hypercar class, but it was ultimately cut to just one stint after the team suffered engine failure six hours into the race and was forced to retire from the famous 24-hour event.
Mick Schumacher set for Circuit Paul Ricard test
Schumacher is believed to be in the running for a seat at Alpine next year after Esteban Ocon announced he will be parting ways with them at the end of the season.
The test will take place at the Circuit Paul Ricard at the end of June, where the 25-year-old will get one day’s milage in the days leading up to the British Grand Prix driving the A522 for the first time.
According to Formula1.com, the team said in a statement: “As part of our TPC (testing of previous cars) programme, we will test Reserve Driver Jack Doohan, in line with his 2024 schedule, as well as Mick Schumacher as part of his Alpine Endurance project next week at Circuit Paul Ricard.”
READ MORE: Who is Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan? Everything you need to know
Doohan, who is part of the Alpine Academy and their F1 reserve driver, is said to be in serious consideration for promotion to a race seat in 2025. He was described as a ‘complete’ driver by his former F2 boss Andy Roche, and has already completed a Friday practice session with the team in Canada.
Schumacher is said to be “pushing like hell” to secure a seat for 2024 while his former team boss at Haas, Guenther Steiner, advised Alpine against the move as he felt they should be targeting the best drivers on the grid.
The key appointment that might decide Mick Schumacher’s fate
Alpine recently appointed their former team principal, Flavio Briatore, to an executive advisor role within the team over 10 years since they sacked him for his role in the Crashgate scandal.
Briatore’s job is to get Alpine back to being competitive again and his impact is already starting to take shape after it emerged the team made a late offer to free agent Carlos Sainz for a drive.
The Spaniard is out of contract after Ferrari decided to replace him for Lewis Hamilton, and team principal Bruno Famin sees him as a viable alternative to Ocon given his recent success. Pierre Gasly is also out of contract at the end of the year, meaning they will need a continuity option if he decides not to renew.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Briatore ran Alpine under the guise of Benetton in the 1990s, when he gave Michael Schumacher a competitive car which enabled him to win his first two titles. Given his relationship with the Schumacher family, it could improve Mick’s chances of securing a seat should Gasly decide not to stay or if Sainz goes elsewhere.
Given his underwhelming track record across 43 races in F1 and crash-ridden final season at Haas, the upcoming test at Paul Ricard could be his only chance of impressing his new boss to secure a second shot.
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