Mick Schumacher spent two controversial seasons in Formula 1 with Haas and lost his seat after 2022. Since then, Michael’s son has been in the Mercedes reserve team and does not give up hope of returning to the peloton – his name appears from time to time on various “transfer” lists – and Mick also has famous defenders such as Toto Wolff or his father’s friend, former FIA President Jean Todt. Recently, the Frenchman boldly claimed that Mick is better than half of the Formula 1 drivers – will such statements help Schumacher Jr.’s career, and who did Jean have in mind?
What did Todt say in an interview with Sport Bild?
“It’s no secret that I love the Schumacher family and therefore Mick. I want him to achieve his dream and I am convinced that he deserves a place in Formula 1. He is a very talented driver who certainly has what it takes to compete in the championship. Otherwise he would not have won in Formula 3 or Formula 2. Is he one of the three or four best drivers? I don’t know that. But Mick is better than half of the drivers in Formula 1.
Perhaps Mick is too kind, too polite, and in Formula 1 you sometimes have to push elbows. It won’t be easy for him to come back. Partly because he was treated unfairly at Haas.
Many people think that his surname is an advantage, but it is a disadvantage. The expectations were incredible, even though his car was not competitive. He could not show the potential he had. Yes, there were a couple of accidents for which he was partly to blame, but the pressure he acted under was unfair. I know from my experience as a team leader that the performance of riders suffers when they do not feel well.”
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Is the former FIA president and Ferrari boss right?
What could be more interesting than discussing the real level of Formula 1 drivers: who is cooler than whom, who deserves a place in the cockpit and who doesn’t? Well, let’s try to find 10 drivers at once who, it turns out, are worse than Mick Schumacher in Todt’s eyes. Let’s start with the simplest ones – Logan Sargent and Guanyu Zhou, who somehow completely missed out on Kick-Sauber this season.
Everyone loves to criticize Lance Stroll. We are not sure that he is actually worse in terms of level, but let’s say. Let’s also include Kevin Magnussen in the list: yes, in 2022 he scored more points than Mick, but in the second half of the season the German seemed stronger, plus we can still expect progress from Schumacher, but hardly from the Dane.
Mick Schumacher with his mother Corinna in the paddock of the Austrian Grand Prix
Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Who else can be included in the “Todt list”? Multiple Grand Prix winner Bottas? Hardly. Smug Window? Yes, he doesn’t know how to work with his teammates, but the Frenchman’s speed is fine. Ricardo? A few Grands Prix ago the answer could have been yes, but now Dan has been doing well again. Perez? Of course, he fails at Red Bull, but for some reason there is confidence that in a mediocre team Checo will be fine and beat Mick himself.
Overall, we end up with two almost undisputed candidates and two controversial ones. It seems that Jean Todt got very excited. And this despite the fact that in F2 there are also guys who are considered more promising than Schumacher: Berman, who has already received a contract, and Antonelli, who is on the threshold of F1. In fact, that is why we do not see the German’s comeback.
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Who can take Mick anyway?
The current transition period is Schumacher’s last realistic chance to return to Formula 1. Yes, he is in the Mercedes reserve, but the longer there is no competitive training, the more sceptical the team bosses are and the less they remember you. After such a break, champions like Alonso or more experienced “super reserves” like Hulkenberg, who ousted Schumacher, can return. Mick can boast neither experience nor results.
However, Schumacher has little chance of being in three teams at once. Firstly, in theory, a place at Mercedes is free, if Sainz does not wait and sign with someone else, and the option with Antonelli seems too risky. However, not even Wolf himself names Mick among the possible contenders.
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There were suggestions that Audi might be interested in Schumacher, but the carmaker has already found a more experienced German, so the “national quota” has already been chosen. It is true that now not a single experienced driver wants to go to Hinwil, so in theory, Audi bosses can still return to Mick’s candidacy in the absence of fish.
Ultimately, Alpin was seen as the most realistic option. Esteban Ocon is definitely leaving the team, at one point it looked like Pierre Gasly might leave as well. The Red Bull trainee still stayed, but there was talk that Pierre could take on someone young as a teammate, either his own trainee Jack Duane or Mick, who races for Alpin in the World Endurance Championship. The Enstone team even recently arranged for Jack and Mick to test together in an old F1 car.
But here’s the rub: after Flavio Briatore joined Alpin, the Frenchman again became an active player on the driver market and entered into negotiations with Carlos Sainz. What’s more, there was talk that the Spaniard was so impressed by Flavio’s plans that he almost shook his hand. True, Mercedes immediately started talking about continued interest in Carlos… But if Sainz really goes to Enstone, then, alas, this may be the last and decisive blow to Mick’s chances of once again making it to the start of the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
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What does Mick himself think about the chances of a comeback?
This is what the German himself had to say in a recent conversation with The Independent: “It’s hard to fight to get back on your feet. It’s like being given a really good cake, but not allowed to eat it. And you see everyone else eating it. It’s hard, but I know why I need all this.”
Honestly, two years ago I was a completely different person. Formula 1 has been my dream since I was five and I am not willing to let it go. Sometimes you think you have a chance, but in the end it doesn’t work out because of some other event. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions that continues for several years. However, I am working on a comeback.
“Maybe I’ll put my CV together and send it to various places! It’s never been a secret that my goal is to get back on the grid. I’ve proven many times that I’m capable of winning titles. The only question is whether I can fit into other people’s plans.”
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