Former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher is set to leave Mercedes at the end of the 2024 season, the racing team announced on Thursday. After his time with Haas in Formula 1 ended in 2023, Schumacher joined the German team as a reserve driver. “I want to return to focusing one hundred percent on racing,” says the 25-year-old driver.
Schumacher previously raced in Formula 1 for Haas, but failed to make a significant impact. The German driver only scored points twice in two years, with his best result being a sixth-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2022. Schumacher was replaced by Nico Hülkenberg in 2023. Mercedes then recruited the young German. In addition to his role as a reserve driver, Schumacher often worked in the simulator for Mercedes, providing the team with “valuable feedback during tests and races.”
“Mick’s hard work, diligence, and determination in his role as a reserve driver have been vital to the team over the past two years,” Wolff thanks the driver in the official press release. “From his work in the simulator, testing various cars, and being part of the team on the track, we couldn’t have asked more of him.However, the Austrian does understand that the German is now choosing a different challenge. “Mick is, first and foremost, a racing driver. We have seen both in his time in F1 and this year with his performances in the World Endurance Championship that he is a racer of an incredibly high caliber and that he deserves to participate in the very best championships.”
Refocusing on Racing
Schumacher thanks Wolff and the entire Mercedes team for the past two years with the racing stable. “They have undoubtedly made me a more experienced driver, as I have come to know the technical side better,” says the driver. “But it’s hard to watch these cars race and not be in the cockpit myself. I want to refocus one hundred percent on racing. After all, racing is what you want to do as a driver, it’s racing that gives you that feeling you love.”
The next step for Schumacher is still unknown. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas is being linked to Mercedes as Schumacher’s successor. The path is now clear for the Finn to serve as a reserve driver at his former employer.
