F1 News: Mick Schumacher Hopeful About F1 Return Amid Lewis Hamilton Shift - "Doors Might Open"
Mick Schumacher earned himself a seat with Alpine for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for 2024 after spending the 2023 season as a reserve driver for Mercedes. Despite that, he is hopeful that a "few doors might open" again in F1 amid the chaos that has ensued in the driver market after Lewis Hamilton announced his exit from Mercedes to join Ferrari next year.
Key Takeaways:
- Mick Schumacher secured a seat with Alpine for the 2024 World Endurance Championship (WEC) after serving as a reserve driver for Mercedes in 2023.
- Despite his move to WEC, Schumacher remains hopeful of returning to Formula 1 amid the turmoil caused by Lewis Hamilton's departure from Mercedes to Ferrari. He expresses his aspirations for a full-time F1 role amidst the changing driver market landscape.
- Schumacher reflects on his transition to WEC, expressing enthusiasm for the challenges ahead and mentioning how Alpine boss Bruno Famin's offer ignited his passion for endurance racing.
Schumacher's last Formula 1 race was with the Haas team in 2022. Following his inability to secure a full-time seat for 2023, he stayed on the sidelines, aiding Mercedes with simulation tasks.
Despite his move to WEC, the 24-year-old keeps an eye out for a full-time F1 role amidst the "chaos" stirred by Hamilton's exit announcement from Mercedes. With one seat potentially open there and contracts expiring for several drivers across the grid by year-end, Schumacher told Auto Motor und Sport about his "big dream". He said:
“I missed racing and the WEC was the best possible option.
“Of course, I have one eye on Formula 1 and could imagine that one or two doors might open in the current chaos. The big dream will not change."
Speaking of a hectic WEC season that lay ahead, he added:
“That’s a few more race weekends than I’m used to. There is also quite a big test programme with the hypercar. I hope that I can get the best out of it despite the six overlapping dates. I’m looking forward to the challenge – it’s definitely going to be one."
Schumacher particularly mentioned that the WEC offer from Alpine boss Bruno Famin "sparked the flame" in him. He said:
“It just really sparked that flame in me to want to go and race here [in WEC], so I’m happy to be here and I guess the feeling is kind of mutual.
“Honestly, Bruno [Famin] came to me very early last year, asking me whether I’d like to join the programme. Obviously, at the time, I was still very much looking at Formula 1 and trying to go in that direction, but that door didn’t open for me.”
